Pennsylvania Union Leader Criticized for Threatening Legal Action Over Boy Scout's Volunteerism

Victoria Atencio
Post #6
While reading the Fox News website I came across an article concerning a Pennsylvania union leader who has recently been put under scrutiny for threatening to file legal action against the city of Allentown, Pennsylvania. The threat is a result of volunteer works that was done by an aspiring Eagle Scout who wanted to create a clear walking path in a park as a project for earning his Eagle Scout badge. The president of the Service Employees International Union’s Allentown chapter, Nick Balzano, states that the union may file a grievance against the city due to the actions of the 17 year old. Their argument was that the now cleared pathway was intended to pay approximately 39 laid-off union members to perform the work.

The threat of filing a grievance against the city as a result of humanitarian work performed by the youth in this community is a form of social control because the union in this case is attempting to control the actions of volunteers in the community for personal reasons. I understand that the state of the economy and finding a job is hard to come by but attempting to punish a teenager for volunteering is an unacceptable form of control. In no way was this 17 year old causing deviance or contributing to social disorder which would be acceptable reasons for implementing control over the situation. In a generation which typically places a negative stereotype on teenagers it is important to encourage the importance of volunteering rather than discourage these actions through a form of control that discourages volunteer opportunities.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,575650,00.html?sPage=fnc/us/crime