While personnel costs no doubt represent a big part of the budget and thus appear to be an easy target, I disagree that city workers should be “the real budget issue” (Editorial: “It's time to take on the unions,” June 11).
As a life-long union member who also understands the positive role of collective bargaining in the well-being of working people, to the betterment of our society and economy, I find your naked hostility offensive.
As a practical matter, pay and pensions are set by contracts already in place, I assume — contracts mutually agreed to, let's remember. Any concessions will need to be agreed to as well, and bludgeoning doesn't seem like a good negotiating tactic to me.
