As a former municipal employee, now retired, I want to respond to the Bristol Phoenix editorial, entitled ”The end of contract give-and-take.” The editorial paints such a bleak picture for municipal taxpayers because of our public employees’ greed. Residents and taxpayers, I hope you are smart enough to know that this is all BS. City and town mayors, administrators, managers, and councilors have been opposed to any legislation that would offer binding arbitration to resolve labor contract issues. They claim that they may not like the final package.

They are also opposed to repealing the laws that make it illegal to strike. They claim that a strike may put a hardship on the residents and taxpayers. The private sector, for example, UPS, Rhode Island Hospital, General Motors, just to name a few, have tackled this problem with both sides, kicking and screaming. But at the end of the day they reach an agreement and move on.

One final response to the editorial that claims the  benefits stack up most favorabily against those who pay the bills, I offer this. Since I retired in 1990, the retirement benefits have been reduced, the health care benefits have been reduced, the life insurance benefits have been reduced and the sick leave benefits have been reduced for the employees in the city that I retired from.

Michael Boyce
Bristol