Debate about vacation time keeps raging
John HUNADAY’S rant about the disappearing American vacation [“American Workers Deserve a Vacation,” Letters, Aug. 24] is nothing but rabid anti-Americanism, short on reason, facts and judgment.
According to him, American workers are “cowards” and “stupid” in comparison to our European counterparts because we forgo earned vacation time when we feel that taking it would threaten our job security. It would seem obvious that the really smart and brave thing to do would be to find a job you enjoy doing so that giving up some vacation time to keep [the job] isn’t as much of a sacrifice. The more you enjoy something, the more successful you’re likely to be.
Hunady also [disregards] the fact that it is Congress that passes federal laws in this country; petitions don’t get it done. Congress would be happy to pass legislation mandating vacation time if there were any public pressure to do so. There isn’t.
Americans apparently are afraid of the economic stagnation and high unemployment France and Italy suffer; after all, what good is a vacation if you don’t have a job to go back to or any money to do anything with?
Marian Hubbard
Big Bear City
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Is Hunady aware of the contribution the American workforce has made in technology, [which] his relatives are using in Northern Italy? I assume his visitors came by plane, and not a rowboat. Does he know where most of the technology to bring them here has come from? I will guarantee it was not from Northern Italy.
We might not have the most perfect system in the world, but I would match it against its Italian counterpart anytime.
Arnold Forman
Oceanside
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If Hunady would like six weeks’ vacation he should open his own business and close six weeks every year. Maybe [author] Joe Robinson could become his partner.
I am from Europe and have been an employee and employer. In 1965 when I arrived [in the U.S.] someone told me, “You can make a lot of money in this country, but the more you make the less time you will have to spend it.” I have kept this in mind. I worked, but I never killed myself.
The American worker wants a house, cars, boat, motor home (maybe a vacation cabin), college for the kids and so on. You cannot do that by slacking off six weeks a year. A rented apartment, a Vespa scooter and a tent to go camping, maybe.
When I started [as an apprentice in 1955], I worked 60 hours a week, [with] Sundays off.
Nick Teichtmann
Los Angeles
