``mountain Laurels'' Is A Regular Series Of Letters From Readers Conveying 
Thanks To Individuals Or Groups For Their Support, Help Or Kindness.

2 Lawsuits Filed Against Ymca

Thursday, January 30, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 





Keeping faith begins with our conscience, not our supervisor &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Companies are forced to do some radical things to stay competitive in
today's global economy. The rules of business have changed. Honda and Toyota,
for example, build cars here, while our Big Three manufacture some models
abroadCompetitiveness often demands the elimination of some jobs and the
transfer of others to countries where labor costs are lower. This causes pain
at every level of an organization. Sometimes, though, a profit can be made
only if wages are cut or people are laid off, and there must be profits or the
whole place shuts down. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Some say it's still just wrong. They accuse corporations of violating an
unwritten agreement with community when they reduce their workforces. These
corporate critics know that layoffs aren't illegal; the contract between
employer and employee ends, technically, with the final paycheck. They contend
that companies have a moral and ethical responsibility to take care of their
employees which goes much farther than that. If that's true, it makes the
relationship more of a covenant than a contract. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 We've all entered into covenants. They are the commitments that bind us
more tightly than any document ever could, because of duty, honor and trust.
Marriage, for example. Parenthood. Citizenship. They don't end when they
become difficult to keep, and our consciences are the judges that convict us
when we break them. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It's easy to cry foul when a corporation lets us down, but how are we
Americans doing at keeping the covenants we have made with each other as
individuals? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 On the whole, pretty badly. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The covenant of marriage can be broken as easily as a piece of wedding
china. If Dad falls out of love with Mom, he can start fresh with few
questions asked. She may have committed years to the marriage, home and
family, but no judge will award her alimony for it. That would be
old-fashioned. Today we believe in no-fault divorce. She and the bewildered
children must simply make do with less. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Abandoned by the husband who made a vow to her and the society that should
protect her, a woman must retrain herself to compete in an economy that may
have little room for someone of her age and skills. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Is she better off than a displaced worker? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Even stronger than the covenant of marriage is parenthood. Here too, we
have slid downhill. For every three babies born in the United States, one is
aborted by its mother, often encouraged by the father, with the assistance of
a doctor who has probably taken an oath not to perform an abortion. That oath
dates back to Hippocrates in ancient Greece, but we'd rather ignore it today. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Estimates attribute 2 to 5 percent of abortions to rape, incest or health
reasons. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The rest? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 No one asks. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Judges and lawmakers defend absolutely the right of a mother to have a
doctor abort almost any baby -- even one that is 3/4 delivered -- for any
reason or for no reason. Those who see the resulting million-plus abortions a
year as a tragedy are accused of hating women. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Why would a mother break her covenant with an unborn child? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Many would probably claim financial hardship. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 When workers are laid off because of financial difficulties at a company,
do we accept it unquestioningly? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 At the other end of life, our covenants with each other have grown even
weaker. Not long ago, children felt a duty to help their parents in their old
age. Today an impersonal government is increasingly taking on that huge
obligation as children reject it. Dignity and peace of mind for a parent in
his final years are judged not worth the sacrifice. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Those children who do keep their covenants with their parents, at great
personal cost, are considered especially noble -- or perhaps foolish. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Some physicians -- our most highly respected professionals -- advocate
withholding care from the elderly, not only when they are near death, but when
they are merely too old. They begrudge expensive procedures to a patient who
has had too many birthdays. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Could a corporation get away with reducing benefits to certain retirees
because they were very old and it was getting expensive? Imagine the outcry. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Perhaps corporations do have covenants with their employees. But can we
demand that they honor what we don't honor? Is it realistic to expect a board
of directors to feel moral obligations that individuals no longer feel? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It's certainly fair to ask what our employers owe us. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But first, let's consider what we owe each other. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 David Parmelee is a partner and co-founder of RSA/Fox Automotive, a
Mountaintop sales consulting firm. His column appears on alternate Thursdays. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Keeping Faith Begins With Our Conscience, Not Our Supervisor 
Companies Are Forced To Do Some Radical Things To Stay Competitive In Today's 
Global Economy. The Rules Of Business Have Changed. Honda And Toyota, For 
Example, Build Cars Here, While Our Big Three Manufacture Some Models Abroad.

Keeping Faith Begins With Our Conscience, Not Our Supervisor Companies Are Forced To Do Some Radical Things To Stay Competitive In Today's Global Economy. The Rules Of Business Have Changed. Honda And Toyota, For Example, Build Cars Here, While Our Big Three Manufacture Some Models Abroad.