Unions Did It To Themselves

Dear Editor:

I wonder if Mr. Culotta appreciates the irony in writing about the loss of union jobs in a New York newspaper? I was raised in a family largely employed in the newspaper unions, so I remember The Herald Tribune, The World Telegram and Sun, The Mirror, The Journal American, The Long Island Press and more. All those once great papers, and the jobs no longer exist. The papers were unable to operate profitably because the unions would not allow new technology to reduce jobs, and because another new technology, T.V., reduced the customer base. The unions were unwilling or unable to help the papers remain in operation and continue employment for the workers.

The history of the New York newspaper industry is a microcosm of post war labor history in the United States. The unions had high membership and great power and political influence but made poor decisions and declined. Blaming other institutions for the decline in American Organized Labor is unnecessary. They did it to themselves.

BOB ISRAEL