Jessica Hoch’s headline entitled, “Union Fuels City Dispute With Unfair Labor Claim” (May 6) was, in my opinion, poorly titled and biased against our city employees and their union.

The headline also does a disservice to the arbitration process, already in place, to settle differences between the City and its employees.

Like many Islanders, my family knows several former and present city employees, some of whom have been laid off, or have faced workplace reassignments with a loss of seniority and pay.

Layoffs are never easy, but they are especially painful to those who believe that the process was deeply flawed, and that the city’s actions may be in violation of the negotiated agreement which is binding on both the city and the employees’ union.

It appears this question will be properly resolved by arbitration and/or the Public Employees Commission.

Two sides with differing opinions on what is proper and legal will resolve their differences through a process which is legally binding and impartial. Inflammatory headlines and prejudicial language are not constructive to this difficult process.

I believe Ms. Hoch’s headline has done a disservice to city employees who lost jobs through no fault of their own, and perhaps in violation of their negotiated contract.

This should be corrected. Our past and present city employees deserve better, and I ask Ms. Hoch for an apology and a correction.

Jim Tusler

Bainbridge Island