This is directed at the letter from Sheila Milano of Lake Stevens, who thinks that dislocated workers are just whiners (“Unemployment: Aerospace workers get special treatment,” Letters, Oct. 19). I disagree with her facts. The loggers did receive retraining benefits through the Timber Retraining Act. This legislation also included help for fin-fishers. This act was designed to help retrain people in industries that were in a permanent or long-term decline. If her father didn’t receive anything as a logger, that was wrong. All dislocated workers deserve training for new jobs. It is in the best interest of our economy to put people to work.
Airline industry employees will be experiencing a declining industry and should be given the same considerations for retraining as other displaced workers. Low wage and part time service jobs won’t replace the good paying family wage jobs that come with medical coverage and pension plans. The loss of these jobs will have a ripple effect that will devastate many other businesses and families in the communities we live in. What is even more disturbing is the fact that our government bailed out the airlines with $15 billion in tax-payer dollars and then turned around and so far has failed to pass legislation to help the thousands of workers who have been or soon will be laid off.
Along with my union (the Machinists Union), I supported bailing out the companies to keep them above water. We need to keep the companies healthy so we have jobs, but how will the bailout money be used? Is it for CEO bonuses? How will the companies be held accountable for the use of our tax dollars? I hope our legislators don’t forget the simple rule: if consumers don’t have enough money to buy plane tickets, they won’t buy them. The members in my union might lose their jobs, but they won’t lose their right to vote and they will not forget how legislators turned their backs on them.
Union Steward Machinist, District 751
Bothell
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