Winston-Salem Journal LTE SA 01/19/13

True collaboration

We all will benefit when labor and management find true collaboration, as columnist Mary Gowan recently suggested (“When labor, management cooperate, everyone wins,” Jan. 10). We're glad she calls out employers like Wal-Mart that deflate wages and create an unsustainable economic environment.

In her effort to offer balance, Gowan cites benefits of right-to-work statutes. It is clear that such laws weaken unions. But studies of the more recent right-to-work states such as Oklahoma and Idaho are inconclusive in their findings about right-to-work as a job creator. The statutes may benefit business owners’ profits and lower overall wages for workers. Workers have fewer benefits, are less safe on the job, and, with weaker unions, there are fewer community voices to fight for rights for everyone. Factors such as a skilled labor force, a good education system, solid infrastructure and quality of life are more often cited as attractors of new business and retention of existing employees.

Gowan holds up Henry Ford as a model for collaboration with employees. We shouldn’t forget that Ford was originally pushed to increase wages by the growing power of the Industrial Workers of the World. His brand of “collaboration” was also decidedly paternalistic. Those who got increased wages also had to agree to be spied on in their private lives by Ford’s “Sociological Department.”

Organized labor and the right to collective bargaining still hold a role in an economic environment where everyone wins.

THE REV. WILLARD BASS

THE REV. CRAIG SCHAUB

Winston-Salem

Revising Social Security

I read the Jan. 11 letter "Regressive tax break" and found it rather shortsighted. To begin with, we have been hearing for years about the financial problems of Social Security. The last estimate I remember seeing is that it will run out of funds to pay retirees in 2035. The idea behind Social Security was to set up a minimum retirement plan for working citizens; however, two years ago, the powers that be felt it better to reduce the employee payment by 2 percent to give us more money during these difficult times.

There has also been the debate over revising Social Security such that each person can make his or her own choices about how to "invest" their money for retirement (IRA/401K/etc.). Forget the argument that it is your money to invest; all government employees, union workers and some private corporate employees are forced to pay into their employer's retirement plan.

I do not know the age of the letter writer, his income level, investment portfolio or anything else about him; however, I wonder if he put his extra 2 percent into an IRA/401K or some other long-term retirement package. If not, then he has just demonstrated why Social Security cannot be revised to permit the average citizen to invest on his own.

Then again, why should I care? I will start getting full Social Security benefits next year; I will be pushing 90 when it runs out.

DAVID BOTCHIN

Winston-Salem

Stimulating the economy

In response to the Jan. 11 letter “Regressive tax break”:

The U.S. economy was stagnant, growth was needed. Means to put more money each month into taxpayers’ hands was sought so taxpayers would in turn spend the money and stimulate the economy.

Social Security funds do not add to or diminish the deficit. Social Security is supported by FICA tax contributions made by individuals working and receiving a salary.

FICA taxes go into the Social Security Trust Fund. The funds are then used to pay for the retirement benefits, Social Security and Medicare one will receive through Social Security upon his or her retirement and to pay the benefits of those already retired.

A 2 percent temporary reduction in FICA taxes was implemented to put more money in taxpayers’ hands with the hope they would spend it and improve the economy. This approach was taken be cause partisanship by some elected officials was used to block other efforts to stimulate the economy. The alternative was to do nothing and let the American economy worsen.

An individual’s retirement planning should receive a very high priority early in life. Each and every person should contribute to their retirement account if they expect to receive a retirement benefit upon retiring. One should never look at retirement funding as a burden.

THOMAS S. STALEY

East Bend

Finish the Thought

Briefly complete the sentence below and sent it to us at letters@wsjournal.com. We’ll print some of the results in a few days. Only signed entries, please -- no anonymous ones.

“Lance Armstrong’s confession means …”