Bargaining necessary

Spokane City Councilwoman Nancy McLaughlin states that she will oppose the nonbinding resolution stating that the city supports collective bargaining for its workers.

Really.

Workers should have no say about their working conditions? They should sit back and let elected officials make decisions about their working conditions without the ability to collectively speak up?

On what planet, Ms. McLaughlin, do you spend most of your time? Public employees need the right to bargain collectively more than those in the private sector because they are at the whim of decisions made by elected officials. What one group of officials decides one year may be different from what another group decides the next year. Without a collective bargaining agreement, those conditions could constantly be changing.

In the last few years, unions have made concessions in face of the bad economy, so don’t give me that tired old line that “our cities aren’t financially sustainable under the current collective bargaining models.” If the city needs concessions from their employees, negotiate them. That’s the way it has worked for a long time.

Not surprisingly, Ms. McLaughlin states she supports the efforts of Gov. Walker of Wisconsin. Where can I sign a recall petition?

Terry Hill

Spokane