ASHLAND — Non-union workers snubbed by board

If you happen to be an employee of an open-shop construction company, you must be disappointed to learn of the Carter County Board of Education’s decision to exclude you from working on the new Tygarts Creek Elementary School project simply because you are not affiliated with a union.

The effort, led by the Tri-County Building Trades Council and supported by the Carter County school board, instituted a requirement commonly known as a project labor agreement (PLA). The agreement discriminates against all construction workers and their companies that do not choose to belong to a union.

Those who pushed for this decision will say that everyone can participate in this project, but what they don’t say is that your company must first recognize the union before they can work on the project.

Against the wishes of the Kentucky Department of Education’s School Facilities Commission and other fair-minded individuals, the Carter County board has given in to the demands of a group that simply wants to eliminate competition and guarantee their union workers get all of the work. By limiting bidders and forcing construction users to modify their methods of operation, open shop companies have little desire to participate in these projects when a PLA is attached.

The taxpayers of Carter County can expect higher construction costs for the project. This labor agreement is a costly and exclusive special interest contract designed to benefit union labor to the disadvantage of open shop contractors and their employees.

PLA’s aren’t about higher wages or better benefits, and they don’t guarantee quality or safety. They’re about discriminating against one group of workers so that union workers have an unfair method of getting the work. That doesn’t sound fair to me and I doubt it does to most Carter County residents.

 Billy Parson, President and CEO, Associated Builders  & Contractors– Kentuckiana Chapter

 

Liberals must be voted out of office

A Medicare rate ajustment that cuts an estimated $16 billion in nursing home funding over 10 years was approved in 2009. In 2009, 24 states cut funding for nursing home care and other services. Four nursing homes were closed in Connecticut and others laid off workers,

Now hospitals are laying off workers and health care will suffer.

Advantage Freedom PFFS, a Medicare Advantage healt care planned, stopped providing Medicare coverage in January of 2010.

Cost-of-living increases for Social Seciurity were eliminated in 2010 and 2011. So far, 113 banks have closed in 2010.

There are 372 tax hiks in the health care bill, which cuts Medicare by $483 billion.

A Mdicare/Medicaid actuarial report says $14 million hav lost employee-sponsored  health care insuance and predicts 23 million will lose thir company-provided insurance by 2019.

If cap-and-trade is enacted by a liberal Congress, unions won’t have anyone to unionize because all the companies will move overseas.

If you want a future for your country and your family, vote the liberals out of office.

Gerald P. Johnson, Greenup



Obama spending us into deep hole

In her Aug. 21 column, Ann McFeatters points out that everything President Obama has done is falling apart: The economy, the bailouts, the stimulus, even health care, just look at how the insurance companies are now raising rates and cutting what they will pay.

In truth, President Obama has done a great job of spending us in a hole we can't get out of without great sacrafice ahead. When we can no longer pay welfare and medicare, there will be a revolt.

Homer Campbell, Ironton, Ohio





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