Unions in Wisconsin need our support

Ken Hamm, Las Vegas

Friday, Feb. 25, 2011 | 2:04 a.m.

The people of Wisconsin need to come together to save the public-employee unions. If unions overall do not survive, this country will be taking a giant step backward in time. If Gov. Scott Walker succeeds in breaking the public-employee unions, governors in other states will see this as a sign this is the right direction to take. Believe me, it is not.

The people of this nation also need to take a stand. We need to support those fighting for their, and our, rights in Wisconsin. Many great books out there will tell you what the working conditions and standard of living were like in this country before good people organized.

What is happening in Wisconsin will affect all of us regardless of political party or whether you are a member of a union. Unions have been responsible for us all having better wages, better working conditions and a better standard of living in the vast majority of cases.

Not all companies are unionized, but they are aware of unions, and because of this they treat their people with respect. They know that if they do not, their people have other choices. Ask any CEO.

The unions in Wisconsin have made concessions that will save the state money, but they should not give up collective bargaining. I encourage others to support those fighting for our rights, just like those Democratic senators are doing. I hope enough of their Republican colleagues in Wisconsin see the truth. This is a democracy after all, not a dictatorship.