Eugene weekly., December 18, 2014, Page 4, Image 4

LET TERS
CORPORATE MODEL LACKING
IN DEFENSE OF LTD
The university is not a business!
Despite what Chuck Lillis says, his role at
the university is to preside over the board
of trustees of a “semi-public” institution of
higher learning, not be a corporate CEO of
the UO.
His push for effi ciency, highly valued
in the corporate world, is not as valuable
in a university setting where “thorough and
deliberative pace … cooperative, consultive,
dialogue-heavy shared governance process
… [is] deeply cherished” (R-G, 12/12). The
academic world is not Wall Street.
Also, union busting, an activity held
in high esteem in the corporate world, is
inappropriate in the academic setting. I fi nd it
highly coincidental that the Graduate Teaching
Fellows Federation (GTFF), in existence for
over 30 years at the UO, is forced out on strike
for the fi rst time as the university is changing
from a public to a semi-private institution
overseen by a board dominated by business
interests and wealthy individuals.
The same corporate education model
pushed in public schools that values
competition (Race to the Top), high-stakes
standardized testing (Smarter Balanced
Assessment), privatization, charter schools,
etc., is on the move at the university level.
The goal of lowering corporate taxes,
shifting the cost of education from the state
to students (student debt) and cashing in on
public education dollars is well under way.
The drama at UO is only in the fi rst act.
Pete Mandrapa
Eugene
Marianna
Cathryn
Glenday
(“Unwarranted Praise,” 12/11), I am sorry
that you had bad experiences on LTD, but I
must speak up for LTD drivers.
I ride the bus several times a week with
many different drivers, and I have observed
them to be unfailingly courteous and
helpful to passengers who need assistance.
When a driver could not accommodate
a wheelchair passenger because the
wheelchair bays were full, she apologized
profusely. Never have I seen a driver pass
by a waiting passenger.
I commend LTD drivers for doing their
jobs with a dedication to public service.
Bonnie Koenig
Eugene
ON WAGE THEFT
Thanks so much to EW and Associate
Editor Camilla Mortensen for the Nov. 13
cover story “Wage Theft." It brought back
a lot of old memories, because as a young
kid I wasn’t paid for work I did and turned
in my boss for failure to pay. I was fi red for
asserting my rights. It’s part of the reason I
became a lawyer and a commissioner.
While it is true that most employers pay
their employees — both the full amount due
and on time — there are some that don’t.
When workers complain about wage theft,
they are frequently threatened with retaliation.
My hat is off to organizations like the
Northwest Workers’ Justice Project and to
the lawyers who represent workers who
haven’t been paid. I especially appreciated
the comments of Eugene attorney Alan
Leiman. He pointed out that workers at a
fast food restaurant in Eugene regularly
worked more than 40 hours a week but
were never paid overtime. I am glad that
we have lawyers willing to represent
unpaid workers.
Efforts to curb class action litigation are
a threat to workers all over this country. As
Eugene attorney Drew Johnson pointed
out, class action suits occur when a group
of people sue on behalf of a larger group of
people in an effort to create change.
Finally, I want to pay tribute to
Vancouver, Washington, lawyer David
Schuck who points out to his wage theft
clients that he must tell clients that they
will likely be subject to retaliation if they
pursue a wage claim.
Thanks for this excellent article and for
shining a light on wage theft. When people
do a job, they should be paid.
Pete Sorenson
Lane County commissioner
Eugene
SHARING TIME AND SPACE
As Thanksgiving approached, Eugene
lost to death two persons whose lives
represented what makes Eugene special.
The caring behavior of Evelyn
McConnaughey and Royal Murdock was a
constant reminder of what makes life here
so worthwhile. They are missed. More
important to me is that they were here while
I was here. They are remembered by those
who found many reasons to love them and
who give thanks for having known them.
George Beres
Eugene
POSITIVE ACTIONS
Last week’s [12/4] two stories, “Good
God,” on the contributions of two local
pastors to helping the distressed and
homeless were inspired journalism.
Hats off to writer Anna V. Smith for her
insightful portrayal of pastors Dan Bryant
and Brent Was. It’s very encouraging to see
the Weekly report the positive actions of
these two leaders of the faith community
in helping care for those in need.
As Smith writes, “In the Kingdom of
God, there are pancakes, sausages and
scrambled eggs aplenty.” I like living in a
place like this.
John Kline
Eugene
WHO TO TRUST AT EPUD
What could the “Gang of Three” possibly
be planning for the next upheaval of the
EPUD board? The last fi asco revealing
phone conversations served no purpose
other than to expose how really low they
will stoop. EPUD deserves better than that.
Imagine being an EPUD employee right
now: Their morale must be at an all-time
low, knowing that one of their own spent
countless hours (probably on company
time) undermining the general manager
and a longtime board member. What could
be their motive? How and who asked them
to do it, and what was his or her motive? A
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DECEMBER 18, 2014 • EUGENEWEEKLY.COM