Letters To The Editor

Sat., Nov. 14, 1998

KAISER STRIKE

I’m proud to be a Steelworker

I used to say I was a Kaiser worker, but at 30 with a wife, two children, no job or insurance, the last thing I expected was a heart attack. My panic was enormous.

The support from my union brothers and sisters made me realize I am a Steelworker. They supported my family, helped arrange medical coverage and donated a large sum of money. Some of these people I don’t even know, and they still gave when they themselves don’t have a paycheck. I thank them so very much.

I now know the power of 2,100 Steelworkers and their families and what we can do together. Together we will be fine. I will be back on the picket line as soon as I’m able.

Now I’m a son, husband, father and I am a Steelworker. William F. Garber Spokane

Strikers sticking together

In response to Kathy Landry’s letter implying that the striking Steelworkers are uninformed about members who chose to turn their backs on more than 4,000 union brothers and sisters:

I’m a 20-year Steelworker on strike against a union-busting company that would rather exaggerate facts and threaten cutbacks in news releases than seriously bargain a fair and equitable contract. I’m on the picket line at Kaiser Trentwood, the same picket line that Landry crosses every day. I may not know every one of the replacement workers; I don’t know every current or retired supervisor that has crossed the line. I am, however, fully aware that five people out of more than 1,000, less than .003 percent of our membership, have crossed the picket line at Trentwood.

Landry’s invitation to “come and join us in gainful employment” would cost too much personal dignity and loss of integrity to accept. Landry and the other four former members of my local can rationalize their actions to the uninformed. Those of us who really know the right thing to do are staying together and strong. Gayle L. Gemmill Spokane

Resolve strengthened by propaganda

Re: “Kaiser wants more control” (Business, Nov. 10).

Once again the reckless statements made by both George Haymaker and Ray Milchovich prove that Kaiser has no intention of reaching an agreement in good faith! And in fact, these two are merely puppets for chain saw Charlie Hurwitz, whose record for strike breaking is well documented.

We will not succumb to this type of propaganda. It only serves to strengthen our resolve. Haymaker and Milchovich should be on trial with Hurwitz as accomplices! Douglas S. Frazier Spokane

Strikers appreciate all the support

I would like to thank the community and all of the unions that have come out to support our strike at Kaiser Aluminum.

I’d like to thank the elderly lady who saw me putting up support signs. She gave me her phone number and said to call her to walk the picket line with us. She said she didn’t want to see Spokane move back to the way it was before there were unions. She stated, “Unions have brought up every working person’s standard of living.”

I’d like to thank the managers at Kaiser Trentwood who said to me, prior to the strike, “Good luck” and “You guys deserve better.”

I’d also like to thank Ray Milchovich, John Walker and Tom Duff for always telling us how valuable our work force is. I know these highly intelligent company leaders on a first-name basis, and they know mine. I know they’re good people, who could not look themselves in their mirror or close their eyes at night without seeing thousands of Steelworkers’ faces, and knowing they’d forced us out on strike - due to corporate greed, not corporate need.

If these three men have compromised their high morals, ethics and principles for monetary gain alone, then they have already lost. If you don’t believe this, go to the picket lines and look into the eyes of the security guards. They know that their cause isn’t right; they’re there only for the money. Their souls have been purchased. As history has shown, an army of mercenaries cannot win. Nickolas G. Abariotes Spokane

SPOKANE MENTAL HEALTH

Reject plan to dismantle SMH

On behalf of the medical staff at the House of Charity, I object to the proposed breakup and fragmentation of Spokane Mental Health (SMH). Like SMH, we, at the House of Charity, deal with the disadvantaged and those who fall through our societal safeguards.

Because of the type of patients we see, we frequently have contact with SMH. We often see patients who have coverage for their mental illness but not for medical problems. SMH has always been responsive to our common problems and goals. They coordinate care for many agencies and have evolved a system that works well for their thousands of patients. Almost all of the medical and mental health professionals are proud of our award-winning SMH. It is a homegrown product, both different and better than almost any other mental health association.

We find it difficult to imagine any manager-bureaucrat who would dismantle this successful organization. We ask you to reject this plan and continue to support your SMH. Dr. Jack Driscoll Spokane

IN THE PAPER

Picture told only part of story

The picture of Richard Warning in the Nov. 9 Spokesman-Review was interesting, but I am sorry you did not have the reason he goes out to collect cans.

Warning faithfully comes to New Vision Free Lutheran Church at Marshall and Haven every Sunday on his cart from a retirement home near Mission and Hamilton. He walks with two canes most of the time, but in spite of this he goes out to collect cans and donates them to our youth groups so that he can make some contribution to the church. He is a very independent person and wants to feel he can be a giving member.

We are very thankful to have him as part of our congregation. Emily M. Carpenter Spokane

GOVERNMENT/POLITICS

EPA, clean the air not our pockets

Is it the EPA’s job to make our air cleaner? It seems to me that they do a great job of enhancing state and federal revenues.

We pay $12.50 for a tailpipe emissions test that costs less than $3 to implement. If our vehicle fails, we must spend a minimum of $150 to try and repair it. That’s $9.50 profit on the test, and $12 in sales taxes on the repairs. Then on Oct. 1 each year, we get to give them more money. That’s when we are required to burn “oxygenated fuel.”

I own and operate two older vehicles - a 1979 Olds automobile and a 1981 Ford pickup. For work needs, I drive my wife 44 miles per day, five days per week, nearly all freeway miles. Both of my vehicles are in excellent mechanical condition and are regularly serviced and tuned.

Before Oct. 1, my car averaged 18.1 mpg; now it’s 12.2 mpg. My pickup was 17.4 mpg; it’s now 11.8. This is using 87 octane regular unleaded gasoline purchased at the same fuel outlet. Each vehicle now requires me to push the pedal a little more to maintain safe freeway speeds. I drive 55-60 mph.

I have lost 5-6 mpgs on each car since the mandated change to oxygenated fuel. I must buy more fuel. More fuel means more gas tax revenue to the various governmental entities. It seems to me that this is just a real good way to get more revenue, without resorting to politically unpopular tax increases. Walter E. Lane Spokane

Improvement needed in veteran care

The Nov. 8 Street Level column reminds us of our World War II veterans who should be honored on Veterans Day. Veterans of Korea, the Cold War, Vietnam, etc., should be honored.

One way that we can honor veterans is to remind political leaders to adequately fund medical care for veterans, whether through the VA or, for those who retired from the military, through DoD. An example of the need: funding for medical care for active duty dependents and military retirees is so poor that Group Health recently pulled out of its HMO-style contract with DoD.

The federal budget-cutters also look at active duty military pay as a target to underfund until a readiness crisis results. Well, readiness is in crisis now. Active duty pay is currently more than 13 percent behind due to suppressed pay raises under the CPI, the index for pay raises.

You’ve seen the stories about experienced military people leaving the service. Many are leaving because they don’t see a country willing to fairly compensate them while demanding that they do more and more with less.

Citizens can honor all veterans by writing to Congress demanding improvements for tomorrow’s veterans - our current active-duty members - by catching active duty pay up to inflation and by adequately funding military and veterans’ health care. The money is there. Charles Latimer, Lt. Col., USAF, retired legislative chairman, Spokane Chapter, Retired Officers Association

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