Amendment 2 opposition brings union response

To the editor:

I am a captain with the Cape Girardeau Fire Department and president of Cape Girardeau Firefighters Association Local 1084. I would like to respond to opposition regarding Amendment 2 on Tuesday's ballot.

We are seeking a constitutional amendment because it is the only road open to us. In 1990, the Missouri Legislature passed a bill that was vetoed by Gov. John Ashcroft, who said the Constitution had to be changed first. We took him at his word, and 204,000 Missourians signed petitions requesting that this be put on the ballot.

The amendment uses the same no-strike language that has been upheld in courts many times. These decisions rendered public-employee strikes illegal. That's what we want. Firefighters do not want the right to strike, and we are willing to write it into the Constitution.

We think it is wrong of Associated Industries of Missouri to mislead people by saying Amendment 2 will raise their taxes. We have a letter from the state auditor stating that the only cost associated with our amendment will be the cost of hiring a lawyer if the employer chooses to. Your local firefighters will negotiate their own agreement without hiring outside lawyers.

In the 37 states that allow collective bargaining for firefighters, safety has improved and there have been fewer fatalities because firefighters are allowed a real voice in decisions affecting safety equipment and working conditions. Who better to improve public safety than the firefighters who put their lives on the line?

MARK STARNES

Cape Girardeau