HOT AND COOL
DEAR MERCURY—WOW! You actually got paid to write that
crap [“When Polar Bears Attack… You!” Feature, May 7]!? I
actually like made-up, irreverent articles when they are written by
Humpy, but yours is just dumb and not funny AT ALL. Maybe you are extra
cool or maybe just really effing hot, because there is really no other
explanation I can think of to explain away the awfulness of your
article about the majestic polar bear, mainly because you were paid
real money. You even neglect to mention the battle raging between
Iceland and polar bears (Iceland—2, polar bears—0, so far).
Don’t ask me if you don’t already know, dumbass. I don’t know why I
even bother.
-Omi
MANAGEMENT
I am a former manager at Laurelhurst Village [“Nursing a Grudge,”
News, May 7]. I agree wholeheartedly that conditions for all of the
workers at LHV need to improve. Hannah [Austin] has only been the
director since January, and a lot of the anger and problems originated
and festered long before she arrived. I do know that Hannah Austin is
working on improving wages and benefits for workers, a fact that she
has shared with employees in detail, but no one seems interested
talking about that. In April a town hall meeting was held in which all
employees were invited to voice concerns and changes that they would
like to see. I was off-site with residents the day it was held, but my
understanding is that although people showed up, very few chose to say
anything. While I totally understand why, after years of being
mistreated, employees would be hesitant to speak up in a public forum,
the opportunity was presented. I personally am pro-union. I have been
pretty vocal about that and have not felt threatened in any way. And
truthfully I haven’t heard anyone in management actually say anything
against the union. But I think that employees are viewing unionizing as
a magic bullet that will solve problems that could be solved by
communication, but that is just my opinion. I like Elizabeth [Lehr] a
lot and I was very sorry to see her go. I will say that at the very
least I feel that her behavior in one of the incidents mentioned in the
article (that I was present for) was unprofessional and more disruptive
than maybe she is willing to admit. Is it grounds for termination?
Unfortunately, yeah it is. Insubordination is grounds for termination
on any job. I’m glad that she stood by her principles, but the fact is
she took a risk and those are the consequences. I flat out do not
believe the story about her stealing employee information. I know her
to be very ethical and honest and so I have no idea what to say about
that. I do think that employees have the right and the responsibility
to protect themselves financially and otherwise in the workplace. I
wish everyone all the best and I hope that this can turn out
[positively]. But right now it isn’t much more than a lot of
name-calling and accusations on both sides, which unfortunately isn’t
serving either side very well.
-RaChelle Schmidt on portlandmercury.com
IN DEFENSE OF BARBRA
With reference to your article “I Have Nothing to Say,” if you have
nothing to say, then it would have been best if you did indeed say
nothing [“I Have Nothing to Say to You,” I Love Television, April 23,
in which Wm. Steven Humphrey praises Barbra Streisand’s singing, and
criticizes her plastic surgery]. You are probably a very young man, and
obviously don’t know anything about Barbra Streisand, and what she has
contributed to the entertainment world. I don’t know her personally
either, and don’t have any reason to jump to her defense in this
instance, but you really derided and insulted the woman unmercifully in
that article, and came off rather unintelligent at that. Frankly,
you should be ashamed of yourself.
-Marcia Grado
CONGRATULATIONS TO MARCIA for coming to the aid of dear old Barbra
Streisand, who has indeed made a lasting and valuable imprint on our
culture. (But her plastic surgery still sucks.) You get two tickets to
the Laurelhurst Theater and lunch at No Fish! Go Fish! where the
Streisand name is sacred.
To the Editor –
A former manager at Laurelhurst Village [“Nursing a Grudge,” News, May 7] wrote in a letter to the Mercury that “insubordination is grounds for termination on any job.” Not true. The National Labor Relations Act (1935) protects workers who “engage in … concerted activities for the purpose of …mutual aid and protection.” (NLRA, section 7)
“Concerted activities” include three or more workers. Elizabeth Lehr was engaged in lawful, concerted activity with her co-workers for the purpose of “self-organzation, to form, join or assist a labor organization…” (NLRA, section 7) By firing her, the employer committed an “unfair labor practice”, ie. “interference, restraint, or coercion directed against union or other collective activity” (section 8(a)(1)) and “discrimination against employees to discourage support for a union” (section 8(a)(3). Laurelhurst Village broke the law by firing Elizabeth Lehr.
The NLRA actually declares collective bargaining (establishing labor unions) as an official policy of the United States. Psst! Pass the word!
Jamie Partridge
4620 NE 7th Ave
Portland, OR 97211
503-752-5112
To Jamie Partridge- Thank you for quotting laws and policy’s to try and prove your point. Unfortunately you are wrong. Ms. Lehr was not fired for trying to organize us to a union building (yes I am a CNA at Laurellhurst). She was disruptive to residents and family so she was asked to leave, when she refused to go she was insubordinate. Which then caused her to be terminated. I always liked Elizabeth and I am pro-union. But in this case she was wrong in the way she went about it and her behavior unfortunately is what gives unions a bad rep.