Union Representing Pa.’s Liquor Store Workers Speaks Out Against Privatization

January 30, 2013 4:32 PM

(A Pennsylvania liquor store, in Philadelphia. File photo)

Reporting Mark Abrams

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By Mark Abrams

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The head of the union representing workers in the state’s liquor stores says Gov. Corbett’s privatization plan is a bad idea. (see related story)

Wendell Young is the president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local 1776.

He says that while the governor’s plan may sound appealing to some on the surface, it will wreak havoc for thousands of Pennsylvania families.

“This governor wants to put nearly 5,000 people out of work from an agency that’s making money, pays all its bills including its employee compensation costs, and delivers over half-a-billion dollars a year back to the state,” Young explains.

Young also says Corbett is out of touch with average voters on the issue and likely won’t find as much support as he thinks, even in his own party in the Legislature.

However, Young says there is support to reform the existing system but not dismantle it entirely.

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Union Representing Pa.s Liquor Store Workers Speaks Out Against Privatization

http://leftcall.com/pennsylvanias-totalitarian-liquor-laws-could-privatization-be-in-sight/ Pennsylvania’s Totalitarian Liquor Laws: Could Privatization Be In Sight?

[...] Now the Republican controlled legislation as well as Republican governor Tom Corbett have announced a plan to privatize Pennsylvania’s over 600 Wine and Spirit stores as well as make it possible for other retail establishments to sell beer and wine. This is one of the few times you will ever see a Left Call endorsement of a Republican plan, but I say this is long overdue. In almost all cases I’m against privatization of public services, but in the case of liquor sales, I do not believe it is a public service. The government has no reason to be in the business of selling alcohol. Government can highly regulate and even highly tax liquor sales and that is fine, but there is no reason for state-run stores. An interesting twist, especially for a liberal like myself, is that the biggest obstacle to privatization of liquor sales in Pennsylvania is the union that represents Wine and Spirit store employees. [...]
http://travel2philadelphia.us/the-latest-philadelphia-news-headlines-forjan-31-2013/ The Latest Philadelphia News headlines for Jan 31 2013 : Travel tips, hotels, restaurants, jobs and news | Travel 2 Philadelphia

[...] Union Representing Pa.’s Liquor Store Workers Speaks Out Against PrivatizationThe head of the union representing workers in the state’s liquor stores says Gov. Corbett’s privatization plan is a bad idea. [...]