New York Times

 

 

April 8, 2003, Tuesday

 

EDITORIAL DESK

 

 

Charges Against Unions

 

 

To the Editor:

 

Re “Labor Leader Wants Insurer's Directors to Give Up $6 Million” (news article, April 3):

 

In response to charges that union presidents profited inappropriately as directors of Ullico, the union-owned insurance company, one of the officers characterized the affair as “an internal labor issue.”

 

He couldn't be more wrong.

 

With unions trying to organize hundreds of thousands of workers each year, allegations of corruption are never internal issues.

 

We can expect the reports of misconduct at Ullico to appear soon on the bulletin boards of many companies that fight union organizing drives by charging that unions are run by corrupt “union bosses.”

 

Any charges that diminish the image of unions and their leaders must be dealt with directly and immediately.

 

GARY CHAISON

Worcester, Mass., April 3, 2003

 

The writer is a professor of industrial relations at Clark University.

 

Published: 04 - 08 - 2003 , Late Edition - Final , Section A , Column 5 , Page 22