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Can't We All Just Get Along?

We are dismayed that negotiations between the Teamsters and the Administration of Mayor Archibald Alabaster III broke down last week, resulting in a strike and a union picket line across Main Street during the annual Mudcat Falls Labor Day Parade, thus plunging our last fling of summer into chaos and confusion.

While this publication has always stood steadfast as a true friend of the working man, we must admit finding it difficult to work up much outrage over the fact that the parade floats and Cadillac convertibles are manned by nonunion drivers. It is still unclear what wage and benefit advances the Teamsters were advocating for the unpaid and largely ceremonial civil servants for a day.

At the same time, we scoff at City Hall claims that the entire episode was a thinly veiled political ploy by local labor leaders to eliminate Republicans from participating in the annual celebration of the American labor movement.

In the end, though, our sympathies must lie with the poor Gourdettes, Mudcat Falls Community College's precision drill team, who valiantly tried to maintain good marching order and their parade formation in the face of the melee when American Federation of State, County and Municipal workers tried to cross the Teamster picket line rather than forfeit their overtime pay for working the holiday weekend.

Surely Samuel Gompers must be turning over in his grave at this year's exhibition to the public of the strength, unity and esprit de corps of trade and labor organizations.



©2003 MFTHPPPGT




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