Nancy Cleeland is director of public affairs at the National Labor Relations Board. Before joining NLRB, Cleeland was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist at the Los Angeles Times and covered major labor disputes and economic issues. Prior to being a labor reporter, Cleeland worked at the LA Times’ Orange County edition as a metro reporter specializing in Latino affairs.
After graduating in 1977 from the University of Arizona, Tucson with a journalism degree, Cleeland worked as a staff writer at The Associated Press. Other journalism-related jobs thereafter include reporter for the Blade-Tribune in Oceanside, Calif.; outdoor writer for the San Diego Tribune; feature writer for the San Diego Union; Mexico City correspondent at Copley News Service; and national correspondent for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Ms. Cleeland: As a tax paying citizen and daughter of a former Boeing Engineer, can I say that I am really sick and tired of unions bullying business. It disgusts me. When they had their last strike at Boeing’s Renton Plant the workers yielded signs “Keep Jobs in America.” Not bad, but such hypocrites….their parking lot was full of foreign vehicles.
Unions used to protect workers, now they biggest job is to stifle business and cut off the lifeblood of American commerce. No wonder Mexico is building a huge port. American union longshoremen may have insanely high wages now, but soon they will have no wage as their jobs disappear past our southern border. Smart companies will take their business where they can provide jobs AND make a profit for the risks they take. It is a matter of survival for business and unions need to wake up and face reality.
Linda H., Seattle Area
Linda