Unfair to Bash Public Employees Wages
Tuesday, May 8, 2007(May 8, 2007) — Once again, Gannett's Jay Gallagher has used his column to bash public employee unions ("Public sector has labor pains," March 31). Gallagher insists that he is not attacking these unions. He writes that government workers "do their jobs well." Nonetheless, he also says that public employee unions "swat down proposals by local governments to control spending."
If Gallagher were really interested in fiscal abuse of the public, perhaps he would reserve his outrage for CEO compensation packages. For example, the package paid to Kodak CEO Antonio Perez, which was front-page news in the same edition of the Democrat and Chronicle as Gallagher's tirade ("Kodak's CEO nets $8.3 million in compensation"). This news comes on the heels of significant downsizing, upheaval and massive losses at the company. The Kodak CEO wins even when Kodak loses.
Many public sector workers chose government as the employer of last resort. Those of us who decided to stay in upstate New York after college didn't find a booming private-sector job market. And starting salaries for people with advanced academic degrees also are depressed in this part of the state. Now, Gallagher would have readers believe that public-sector employees are overpaid and over-compensated with benefits simply because the private sector has outsourced work to the point where people need two jobs to equal the standard of living that one job provided as recently as the late 1970s.
Contrary to Gallagher's opinion, there is no shame in being a government employee. Teachers, public safety, firefighters and health officials all receive government paychecks. Should they be scorned because they have decent benefits when many in the private sector do not? No, since that canard turns the issue on its head and plays into the hands of those at the very top of the corporate pyramid. These modern robber barons insufficiently compensate their workers and then complain when others are adequately compensated. Unfortunately, employers gain the support of many workers by spouting this anti-union view.
Greed has replaced the civic-minded corporate board. When George Eastman put this community, his employees and customers first, his fortune followed. The Kodak CEOs of today have put their personal fortunes above the well-being of their company, employees and the greater Rochester community. Eastman would be appalled.
Bertolone, of Rochester, served for six years through last November as executive vice president, Monroe County Law Enforcement Association.