PIER
SUSHI
Weekend Lunch
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Satu
20% OFF
1 11:30am-2pm
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720 S. A St. • Springfi
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541-653-9469
54
69
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Dari Mart proudly introduces Lochmead ice cream in a convenient
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viewpoint
BY JOHN DAVIS
Time for a Talk
Public workers reach out to community
T
he relationship between public sector workers and the community has frayed
in many places, and broken down completely in others. By relationship, I
refer to the sort of thing you experience with a longÐterm partner, because
that’s what public workers and the community are to one another.
Eugene Springfi eld Solidarity Network (ESSN) is hosting a community
conversation between public workers and the citizens they serve, from 6:30 to 8:30
pm Wednesday, July 13, at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 1062 Charnelton. Eugene’s
public employees would like to spend an evening with you, the community, and have
a very important talk. You see, we’ve noticed that farÐoff look in your eyes for a
while now, and we realize that something serious is wrong with our relationship.
We’ve been less than stellar at communicating, and you might feel that you haven’t
been heard.
We think that the relationship between public employees and our community has
a strong solid foundation. But we’ve let the communication piece slide, as partners
often do when there is much to be done at work and around the house. But if you’ll
join us July 13, we’d like to talk about our role in the life of the community. This
relationship has worked for a long time, and there’s no reason it shouldn’t continue,
if we can be sure to listen and respond with regard to one another’s needs.
It is the public that will ultimately decide the fate of public employees, just as it
has in the civil rights movement and the antiÐwar movement. Unfortunately, public
workers have allowed themselves to be defi ned by their detractors in recent years.
According to them, Ronald Reagan’s “welfare queen” has apparently found work in
civil service. But such voices will always exist, and our best defense is to ignore them
in favor of engaging in a real conversation with the community. Eugene is a precious
place, even unique. Here, and in other communities that people love, public workers
can best justify their existence by saying, “Take a look around.”
Imagine looking at our community on Google maps. Get close enough to
recognize the places you go regularly, or that you pass by. Now go to the “layers”
button. (For those who don’t know, the layers feature allows you to overlay specifi c
kinds of locations — restaurants, parks, crime scenes, or what have you — on to your
map.)
Click on only the layers that you want in your community: good public schools,
parks, police patrols, fi re stations, inÐhome health care, bike paths, universities,
community colleges, hospitals, reliable electricity, clean drinking water, storm water
and sewage maintenance, roads and bridges, a stable middle class. How many of
those layers did you click?
Much of what makes Eugene terrifi c has some connection to the people who serve
our community, and who are proud members of unions. Events like the Olympic Trials
at Hayward Field, football games at Autzen Stadium or Wicked at the Hult Center
rely upon public employees to create and maintain the necessary computer and
technological requirements for the events or to provide all the conditions necessary
for a world-class experience. These events enrich the culture and the economy in
our community and they are supported in large part by hundreds of rank and fi le
public employees.
As our economy stumbles headlong into tomorrow, should our society’s
workforce seek the shelter and promise of organized labor, or should we keep clear
of its tottering shadow? While union membership has steadily declined in the private
sector — along with private sector wages, benefi ts, and security — organized public
workers remain. Public employee unions are like an atoll, offering shelter despite the
violent collapse of the original island. But like the atolls used for weaponsÐtesting in
the 1950s, public employees have been labeled as useless fossils in the modern age.
Public workers are public servants, and we’d like to have a talk with the public
about how to improve our relationship.
John Davis is a public school teacher of 10 years, and a representative for his school to the Eugene
Education Association.
July 15-17
The Lost Boys
Saturday, July 16, 5 p.m., Island Park
THE CONJUGAL VISITORS
FREE show Sunday, July 17, 2 p.m., Island Park
EDDIE
MONEY
SATIN LOVE
ORCHESTRA
SATURDAY, JULY 16
7:30 P.M., ISLAND PARK
Friday, July 15
7:30 p.m., Island Park
PetFair!
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FRIDAY
f Mystery Train ISLAND PARK
SATURDAY
f Ranch & River
Run/Walk DORRIS RANCH
f Cow Pasture Golf
f PetFair LIVELY PARK
f FamilyFair ISLAND PARK
SUNDAY
f BroilerFair ISLAND PARK
f Kids’ FishingFair ISLAND PARK
f Recycled Regatta ISLAND PARK
ONGOING
f 3-on-3 Hoopsters
Tournament MEADOW PARK
willamalane.org
541-736-4544
6 JULY 7, 2011 EUGENE WEEKLY
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