April 12, 2021

Americans should have right to unionize

 

As a proud AFSCME retiree, I strongly support the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. I had the opportunity to join a union. They fought to raise my wages and provide benefits that helped me save and plan for my retirement. My husband and I both belonged to unions and that enabled us to provide a good life for our family. Unions benefit all workers regardless of gender.

America needs unions and there shouldn’t be any barriers in the way of joining or forming them. That is the aim of the PRO Act. Employers would finally be held to the standard of letting workers decide for themselves if they want better wages, dignity, and respect in their workplace. The PRO Act even forces employers to disclose their payments to outside union-busters they hire to campaign against fair and just working conditions. If Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen. Joni Ernst voted in favor of the PRO Act, we would see amazing things happen not only for those workers, but the communities they live in. This would lift people up out of poverty and finally give working people the chance at a life where they not only can afford bread, but roses too.

– Cheryl Hannah, Iowa Alliance for Retired Americans Member, Waterloo

This letter to the editor was originally published in The Des Moines Register on April 10, 2021.