Blaming unions for the problems facing the Big Three automakers (Letters, Nov. 18) is like indicting engine room operators for the faulty navigation and design of the Titanic.

Unions have their faults and perplexing issues, but here's what they did not do:

» Control the boards and bureaucracies of the Big Three.

» Run research and development.

» Design and engineer vehicles.

» Run marketing/advertising departments.

» Fail to heed what Honda, Toyota and Mini-Cooper were doing.

» Tolerate dealerships whose sales and service departments habitually irritate customers.

My father-in-law, a heroic World War II veteran, was a lifelong General Motors customer. In the late 1990s, out of frustration with nagging breakdowns and dealership nonchalance, he reluctantly switched to Hondas made in Ohio. His choice had little to do with retail price or the cost of labor.

It's the job of top management to understand and anticipate what the competition is doing and what is valued by customers. Doubts? Just read the latest book by former Ford and Chrysler exec Lee Iacocca.

Gary M. Davis

Indianapolis