Simple equation

As a former union member and the member of a proud union family, I was disappointed to learn that transit union boss Patrick J. McMahon's version of the "American Dream" includes retiring at age 46 with a full pension and virtually free health-care insurance coverage for the rest of your life ("My Dream World Is the American Dream for All," June 29 letter and "Port Authority Seeks 231 New Hires to Fill Gap," June 7 news article).

The working men and women across Allegheny County and Pennsylvania whose taxes provide the majority of the Port Authority's funding do not enjoy those kinds of benefits, and they shouldn't be expected to finance a system that provides them. That is why the Port Authority is fighting for its workers to accept contract terms that are reasonable, just not the most expensive in the entire country. The equation is simple and inescapable: the more money that goes into the union contract, the fewer hours of bus and rail service that will be available for members of the public to use to get to work or to school to pursue their own American Dream.

What is needed in Pittsburgh is union leadership like that of United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger, who has worked in cooperation with GM, Ford and Chrysler to find a way to keep retiree health-care costs from killing those companies and throwing thousands of employees out of work.

KEN ZAPINSKI
Senior Vice President
Transportation and Infrastructure
Allegheny Conference on Community Development
Downtown

Important work

I have good news for letter writer Marcy Cendroski ("The American Dream Shouldn't Be Publicly Financed," July 6): The Port Authority is hiring! She said, "When [union chief Patrick McMahon] finds a private corporation willing to bend to his demands, I suggest he share the name with all of us ... so we can apply for jobs there." There are no plans to privatize the authority, but she could apply there like the rest of us. (I am a maintenance employee for the authority.)

There are some jobs in this country that are public-sector jobs, such as transit, police and fire. Fortunately, these jobs are represented by unions. It is our right in Pennsylvania to be represented by unions. Unions built this great country.

I am glad Ms. Cendroski had a great "white-collar" career. As for us, we receive pay, benefits and pensions that we pay into. And we are all taxpayers. We receive no bonus or stock options, such as Ms. Cendroski did in the private sector, and we are OK with that.

Again, we're hiring. Come on down.

BOB MICHAK
Baldwin Borough

We welcome your letters. Please include your name, address and phone number, and send to Letters to the Editor, 34 Blvd. of the Allies, Pittsburgh 15222. E-mail letters to letters@post-gazette.com or fax to 412-263-2014. Letters should be 250 words or less, original and exclusive to the Post-Gazette. All letters are subject to editing for length, clarity and accuracy and will be verified before being published.