Thursday letters: Unions help level the playing field

Recently, Gov. Nikki Haley stated that she will fight attempts to unionize Boeing’s plant in North Charleston. Obviously she does not realize that interference with workers voting to unionize is a violation of the federal National Labor Relations Act.

What has always puzzled me is why blue collar/middle-class workers reject unionization. Median weekly earnings for union workers are $970 per week, and for non-union workers they are $763. There also is a substantial difference between medical benefits, pensions and other benefits for union workers versus non-union.

The growing concern of Democrats, Republicans and independents is the increasing spread between the rich and the middle class. Unions have historically leveled the playing field somewhat. Workers with no group representation (unions) to fight for higher wages, medical coverage, pensions, job safety and due process are left to the whim of employers.

Bluffton