Union served us faithfully and well

Golden Pen

So, unions stuff their pockets while workers' pockets are empty and they are losing homes, cars, and their families are breaking up?

I worked at Kaiser for 33 years. When I went on strike I had paid union dues totaling $11,256. I was given monetary help from my union for the past two years totaling $14,560, not counting the union food bank and Christmas help. I also had the knowledge that if I was in danger of losing my home or car, the union would help me.

The strike/lockout cost our union well over $150 million and it never will ask us to pay any of that back. Even though I held a full-time job, and so did my wife, we both got union help totaling $19,120, because she, too, had worked for Kaiser and had paid $6,048 in union dues. We've been more than compensated for the union dues. I'm ahead by $3,304, my wife by $8,512.

Unions aren't for everybody. Some want minimum wage jobs and short hours with lots of overtime and no benefits. If that's what you want in life, fine.

Some companies are fair, decent and honest. Mine wasn't. Thank God for unions and their leadership. I'm proud of the union leaders, national and local. We didn't get a good contract, just the best they could get. I'm happy that the ones who wanted to go back can. I've found another job and it, too, is in a unionized work force.

Carl D. Lamphier

Coeur d'Alene


The Golden Pen is a feature of the Monday Opinion page. Each week The Spokesman-Review editorial board nominates one piece of artwork or a published letter to the editor for its Golden Pen award. At the end of each month, the board will choose one of the nominees to receive a 10-karat gold Cross pen. At the end of the year, the monthly winners will be honored at a reception at The Spokesman-Review.