I recently received a letter from the Freedom Foundation saying my rights were being infringed upon because I pay union dues.
My response is that I couldn’t disagree more.
I have been a proud union member for over 35 years.
Because of my membership, my salary has been higher and my working conditions better than they would have been without union support and influence.
The recent Supreme Court ruling [Janus v. AFSCME, June 27] will weaken unions, and as a result, the benefits that workers receive from having a group that looks out for their well-being.
There are many employers and companies that care about their employees and strive to create good working environments.
But business is business, and the main objective for a business is the bottom line.
Fairness and employees’ well-being will always take a back seat to profit.
For those that don’t agree, look back in history before this country had strong worker unions.
There was no minimum wage or 40-hour workweek.
Safety conditions were appalling.
Groups like the Freedom Foundation and OptOutToday.com are playing the working men and women for fools by saying workers’ rights are being taken away.
It is the opposite.
Businesses may well be very happy with the latest ruling from the Supreme Court to weaken unions, but for the average American worker, it will have a detrimental and far-reaching effect.
Trent Pomeroy,
Port Angeles