PAX Centurion - January / February 2013

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • January/February 2013 • Page 29 I n the recent campaign for Senate and for President, an extremely important issue was raised and accusations were lobbed back and forth between candidates. I am embarrassed to say, I have clearly been ignorant that this issue is still occurring in this day and age. Upon reflection of my career in the workforce, it became readily apparent tomewhy Iwas ill-informed. Since I have been old enough to work, my em- ployment opportunities have been primarily based in physical labor types of jobs. For instance, Iwas anMDC lifeguard for a couple of summers in the mid 1970’s. I also worked in a couple of sweatshops, making electrical armatures and electrical cores formachinery. I worked as an apprentice automobile body-man. I also landed a job as an apprentice draftsman for anEngineeringCompany in the Prudential. I was then fortunate enough to get an office job in the Boston Edison. I worked as a clerk in the Meter Records Department of the Edison on the 33 rd floor of the Prudential Building. My office experience lasted a short four months before I became an apprentice lineman for the Edison Company. I stayed employed with the Edison and became a Journeyman Lineman before departing for my employment as a Policeman. I can honestly say that at no time, in any of the jobs I worked, was equal pay for equal work an issue. So you can imagine my confusion when this issue arose during the election. For the record, inmy opinion, any suchdiscrimination is categoricallyunfair anddemeaning towomen. But what struck me is why I hadn’t been aware of this injustice. The reason for my ignorance is because I was sheltered. You seemost of my jobs weren’t necessarily sought after bywomen and for the bulk of my career, I have been Union. There is no such dis- crimination in aUnion. Unionswere formed, for among other things, to protect the workers and their working conditions. But what is troubling to me is why haven’t women organized? Why aren’t there women’s groups promoting and supporting unions across this country? Why is the general public ignorant to the fact that Union workers set the pay scales andworking conditions for almost all jobs, yet unions are vilified in the press and condemned in the media. The onslaught against union workers, portrayed as greedy and unreasonable is a staple for the media today. Yet no one tells the true story, that all of this unequal treatment of the female work force could be rectified simply by unionizing thework force. No truer words were ever spoken, “United We Stand andDividedWe Fall.”Whenmanagement can divide, they will conquer. When pay scales aren’t public knowledge, when jobs aren’t open for bidding, without seniority and stability of employment there is room for such abuse. Without union protection, workers are left at whims and prejudices of their employers or supervisors. I believe women will never be given their equal share in the “Non-Union”work force until thework force is forced to obey the simple agreements made between unions and management. I have worked aside plenty of women in my career, and each one of them was paid at the same rate as me. The reason why, is because we worked in Union organized private businesses and Union organized government agencies. Women, unite for your own commongood and that of your daughters. Force these hypocrites in the media and in politics to right the wrongs of the past and present, and preserve the future.Vote union, work union, support and promote unions. Remember all unions are here for the same thing, to serve and protect worker’s rights. By Kevin Doogan Righting the wrong We Salute Our Friends of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association! Thanks for all you do!