Two opinion letters of June 4 ask questions about unions which deserve answers.
Ed De Boer asks why he should doubt Lenin’s alleged statement that “unions were the road to communism.” He clearly doesn’t know history nor the difference between communism and unions. He rails against unions but admits that he took the pay raises negotiated by them. He undoubtedly now receives a pension payment based on those wages. If he didn’t like what they did for him, he should send it back.
Tim Hein asks what public sector unions expect to receive if Jay Inslee is elected governor. Read the news. Ask public employees in Wisconsin what they are getting from their governor, Scott Walker. Lost public service, lost jobs, lost benefits, lost retirement. Why should public employees lose their free speech when the private sector side is speaking loud and clear with their money influencing public decisions to privatize public services.
Conflicts of interest belong to those who advocate their self-serving interests with influence and money … which is speech. Should public-sector employees give up their speech while working dangerous jobs in electric utilities, fire departments, overcrowded classrooms, or highways? No. These folks serve us well.
Patrick Lambert
Camas
