NOT PAID IN FULL
Our cover story about the prevalence of employers stealing wages and the lack of Philly organizations fighting it [“The Crime That Pays,” Jake Blumgart, Aug. 9, 2012] prompted several people to email with their stories about being the victims of wage theft. Wrote one: “A lot of outfits are milking the recession to commit highway robbery. They need to be held to the same standards as major criminals.”
Citypaper.net commenter Dissenta wrote: “Sent this article to Philly City Council with the request they get a hold of Miami and Seattle wage-theft ordinances and use them as a model to create one for Philly, telling them there is no excuse not to act immediately on this, especially since Philly could end up with cash in the till in the long run. Great article. Great illustration too!”
A RESPONSE FROM TEMPLE
We received this letter from Rebecca Harmon, assistant vice president, communications, at Temple University Health System:
“The article by Samantha Melamed in the Aug. 16, 2012, issue of Philadelphia City Paper (‘Tech’s Hiring in Temple Strike Reveals Flawed System’) promulgates false accusations by a single unnamed source. The piece demonstrates obvious bias and advances an agenda damaging to Temple University Hospital. Furthermore, at no time did Ms. Melamed contact the hospital to elicit a response to these baseless allegations.”
A LESS PERFECT UNION
Last week’s column about how the building-trades unions’ tactics are alienating the public [“Union Made,” Daniel Denvir, Aug. 16, 2012], caused commenter Phil Perspective to complain about the union leader mentioned in the column: “John Dougherty is more concerned with himself. If he put half the effort into improving the union that he puts into his own self-image, Philly would be a lot better off.”
WE SWEAR BY IT
Anonymous Philaphilia critic GroJLart’s blog-rant about the crappy surface parking lot at the Rite Aid at 23rd and Walnut streets [“Empty Lot of the Week: Lot of Lots of Lost Uses,” Naked City, Aug. 7, 2012] caused commenter FocusTruthFully to write: “This story might have had some merit if it were not for all the cursing in it. … Clean it up!” Au contraire, writes orangechickenorange: “History is super fun, but it’s more fun with swearing.”
