LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Strong unions make strong middle class

Terry E Peele, Las Vegas

Friday, Sept. 5, 2008 | 2:04 a.m.

A large number of individuals write and talk about illegal immigration and the cost of these immigrants to the taxpayers of Nevada. Only a small number write or talk about the reason these illegal immigrants are here. That, folks, is jobs.

There are those who say these are jobs that Americans will not take. Not true. These are jobs that pay such an indecent wage that only a few Americans will do the work required for such low pay. Why are there so many jobs out there that pay such an indecent wage that Americans will not do them?

Talking just about Nevada, consider the fact that it is a “right to work” state. Sure, a large percentage of Nevadans take pride in such a designation. Well folks, it comes with a price. A right to work state weakens unions. The result: fewer union jobs.

Go to any union job site in Nevada and you’ll find few questionable immigrants working there. That’s because union jobs pay a decent wage, and when employers have to pay decent wages, there is no advantage to hiring illegal immigrants.

Say what you like about unions, but it was unions that established the middle class in this country. As unions get weaker, the middle class gets smaller. The reason is not because individuals are moving into the upper class. Folks, it’s because more and more individuals are falling into the lower class.

Something to think about the next time you see an illegal immigrant working for peanuts while you pay to educate his children and pick up his health care cost because his employer doesn’t provide him health insurance.

Discussion: 2 comments so far…

By jfnance32

9/5/08 at 7:07 a.m.

Suggest removal

Raise taxes on job creatioin capital investments kills jobs.....that is what Obama wants to do.

High gas prices kills jobs in Nevada....Obama is kicking and screaming not really wanting to use the trillions in dollars of oil and gas that we have. Instead, he prefers to send that trillions in cash and jobs to other countries.

Liberal policy first not country first is Obama's motto.
By Future2012

9/5/08 at 8:56 a.m.

Suggest removal

What is Today’s Labor Union Contribution to America

The reason that Las Vegas is in a major recession while the rest of the U.S. is in a downturn is the result of the price pressure that Unions have put on Las Vegas services.

Labor Unions have done very little to communicate what their purpose is in today’s society. We know that membership is on decline because most of the old line employers that they have locked up are going bankrupted or are losing market share. Those old employers have generally been ones that produce tangible products which no longer can be priced to compete in the market place (steel, autos, airlines, etc.) without concession in wages and benefit. The UAW had 1.7 million member in 1979 and 465 thousand in 2007. Unions now only represent 7.5% of the private sector employees.

The new employers that Labor Unions are infiltrating are services that are not as subject to being lost to competition such as Teachers, Nurses, State and City employees, Police and Fire, Hospitality, and local commercial construction. Education and Healthcare costs are increasing at twice to three times the national inflation rate. The average hourly wage was $39.50/hour for public jobs and $26.09/hour for private jobs in 2007.