Danger lies in letting unions die

Brad Truax, Las Vegas

Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012 | 2 a.m.

Active union members get it (“Las Vegas union workers: In their words,” Sept. 2, 2012). They understand that decent wages, benefits and working conditions are things unions have historically fought hard to get, and they don’t take these things for granted. Sadly, many people have bought into the false notion that a living wage, decent benefits and regulations that assure a safer working environment are all that stands in the way of creating new jobs. While this may seem true to a certain extent during recessionary times, let’s not forget that once the benefits unions have fought so hard for are gone, they’re likely gone for good.

Political rhetoric has successfully turned many people against unions, giving them a false sense of security and the mistaken idea that employers will not take advantage of the absence of unions and strip their employees of everything unions have fought hard to secure, not just for their members. Unions have set the standard for what constitutes an acceptable, living wage and decent benefits. When the economy is running at full steam again, nonunion employers know they’ll have to compete with union shops for the best employees. They’ll have to be willing to offer reasonably comparable wages and benefits.

One of the most dangerous things we can do when considering our livelihood is to allow unions to die. When unions are gone, workers will be at the mercy of employers who, in many cases, will care more about how much money they can bank than the well-being of their employees.