Money, unions and competition

Re “The end of ‘more,’ ” Opinion, May 22

I’m happy to find that former Sen. George McGovern is still thinking clearly. He expresses dismay at the union leaders continuing the John L. Lewis philosophy of always wanting “more.” I agree with his contention that in this new competitive environment, union leaders, particularly in the automotive and airline industries, need to back off and work with company executives and remain competitive. The only alternative is to go out of business. Yes, competition is having an effect. Unfortunately in the public sector, federal, state and municipal governments do not face competition, and there are no checks and balances.

In San Diego, the city is on the verge of bankruptcy because of the high salaries and outlandish pensions achieved by the public employee unions in return for getting the politicians elected who have made deals with the unions. This was made obvious at the state level when the Arnold Schwarzenegger “revolt” against the Gray Davis excesses took place. It is pretty obvious on TV that the really big money in support of candidates in the upcoming election is being spent by the public employee unions. It is naive to think that they won’t expect a quid pro quo.

CHARLES W. BENNETT

San Diego

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It’s hard to say that these major businesses are being put into bankruptcy by the unions wanting more. If a corporation is making such a small profit that it can’t afford healthcare for its employees, how does the CEO who makes tens of millions of dollars get even more money when he retires? Maybe instead of asking their employees to ask for less, CEOs should lead and give back a majority of their money to keep their businesses going.

ALEX POWELL

San Diego