And She Thought Murphy Had Labor Pains

English says she won’t allow her production employees to unionize because she wants to hire women and minorities. But no union can, or even wants to, prevent employers from hiring women and minorities.

Since IATSE could not legally insist that English fire all of her current employees and replace them with workers already members of the union (that’s been illegal since 1947), this is actually a perfect opportunity for English to bring these people into the union. In reality, it appears English simply wishes to exploit these vulnerable workers, just like the garment industry, by refusing to provide health and pension benefits.

English says it is OK for her to produce shows non-union because a few others do so as well. Does she also believe that because President Reagan busted the air-controllers union, it is OK for all American companies to do the same?

Dan Quayle supported the war in Vietnam yet avoided the draft. English claims to believe in social justice yet turns out to be a union-buster. Quayle and English it appears, have a lot in common; the word is hypocrisy.

DAVID P. KOPPELMAN

Los Angeles