There is an important piece of legislation pending before the U.S. Senate. According to Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, this legislation would stop corporate managers from aiming a “loaded gun” at their employees. The legislation, Senate Bill 55, would prevent employers from hiring permanent replacements for workers who exercise their legal right to go on strike.

Over the last decade, employers have increasingly forced concessions from their employees and broken strikes by using permanent replacements.

The Workplace Fairness Act would correct this imbalance of power. Polls show that a majority of the public wants to see an end to the destruction and violence caused by the use of striker replacements. The bill was approved by a big majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in June of this year. President Clinton supports and has promised to sign the legislation. It has the support of a majority of senators.

So why hasn’t Workplace Fairness become a law? Because Sen. Dole and a minority of senators have blocked a vote by threatening a filibuster.

It is time to get America back on the right track. Sen. Dole and his small group of cronies are standing in the way. Unfortunately, our own Sen. Cohen has not yet decided to stop the filibuster of this bill. It’s time to stop gridlock, Sen. Cohen. Stop the filibuster and let democracy work. Norman E. Philbrick Bangor