Will State Representative James Buchy join great Americans Franklin Delano Roosevelt (D), the first president of the AFL-CIO George Meany, and Ronald Reagan (R) based on his position on Ohio SB 5? Or will he join union leaders such as James Trumpka who would like to convert SB 5 into a partisan issue? Trumpka’s career began admirably as President of the United Mine Workers of America - a union whose protection is essential to the health and safety of mine workers to this very day. Unfortunately his overzealous representation of workers drove US steel companies to marginal positions in the global market and made US auto companies uncompetitive to the point of bankruptcy of General Motors and the foreign control of Chrysler, while virtually destroying manufacturing jobs.
Americans over time, regardless of party, have regarded unions as a necessary tool for the protection of those least able to represent themselves in matters of life-threatening job safety and compensation. This includes coal miners, farm, steel, electrical and other dangerous works of toil. They have uniformly denied that privilege to those whose jobs should be considered public service and teachers that are more properly represented by a guild.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (D), the only three-term President of the United States, rejected the so-called “right to work” of government employees to bargain collectively. His position was supported by the first AFL-CIO President George Meany who stated “It is impossible to bargain collectively with government.” He reasoned that the government does not have bargaining chips (profit), only a fiduciary responsibility to use the taxpayer money wisely.
The 1959 Executive Council of the AFL-CIO advised “in terms of accepted collective bargaining procedures, government workers have no right beyond the authority to petition Congress - a right available to every citizen.”
Ronald Reagan (R), president of the Screen Actors Guild (1947-1952), in 1981 stood up to the Air Traffic Controllers union even though they held the safety of airline pilots, crew and passengers in their hands. The matter was dissolved (he fired 11,000 air traffic controllers) without negative effect on airline safety even though the number of flights increased by 6 percent from 1981 to 1984. Reagan stressed that he derived no satisfaction from sacking the controllers.
Indeed American history reveals that Republicans and Democrats and great union leaders have fully supported the right to unionize for underprivileged workers such as miners, farm workers, and workers in sweat shops and dangerous industries. They have steadfastly opposed union representation for government workers. Perhaps that explains the basis for the terms “public servant” and “public service”. They serve at the grace, conscience, and will of voters and taxpayers.
How does Representative James Buchy compare to his predecessors of both parties? We believe Buchy will make his position clear at the forum at 500 pm today at St Clair Memorial Hall. Please attend.
[Opinion submitted by Charles and Rebecca Reier]
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