American Labor Unions

In response to Guy Molyneux’s column “Sun Is Setting for America’s Unions, and All Workers May Rue the Day,” Opinion, April 19:

Molyneux missed on two out of three when he said “we all lost” when employees at Caterpillar ended the strike by returning to work. The employees didn’t lose, they won; they now have jobs which they might have lost. The unsuccessful strike will discourage unions from calling strikes, so our economy won. The union lost.

He implies that President Reagan’s replacement of the striking air-traffic controllers is related to the slow growth in productivity. It would be more accurate to note that there were 187 work stoppages the year before Reagan replaced the controllers compared with only 40 strikes last year. If the controllers union had permitted the controllers to return to work, many good and dedicated employees would have saved their jobs. The union and the employees both lost.

The article does have merit; however, it is 10 years ahead of its time. During the next 10 years the declining role of unions will give American companies an opportunity to increase productivity; if corporations do not manage this growth wisely, the unions will gain both legitimacy and power.

LEWIS L. BEALL

Coronado