LETTER: Ebenezer Scrooge alive in Michigan

To the Telegram:

What a Christmas gift Michigan received this holiday season from its legislature.

What happened in Michigan on Dec. 12 is an example of a group of legislators wanting to bust unions and nothing more.

The so called right-to-work legislation was accomplished with no representation of the people that voted for a change in that state’s government. To allow this kind of decision-making is a terrible excuse for democracy.

It is a shame that a bunch of politicians have to make a lame duck, life-changing and self-serving law such as this at a time when Michigan and the United States of America are on the road to recovery.

I hope my feelings reach those who are responsible for this gutless action. You are cowards and are not deserving of the positions the voters originally put you in. Shame on you.

I invite anyone of you to debate me on how a 17.5 percent union movement in Michigan is so frightening.

Unions have set the bar for over 100 years to create good paying jobs with benefits, including health care and a pension, allowing a worker to retire with dignity. How about the five-day work week, overtime pay for overtime work, prevailing wage, safety in the workplace and child labor laws to name a few benefits for workers in unions.

What a wonderful Christmas gift you have provided everyone in a selfish attempt to make things “better” in your state. Make sure to thank God for the wisdom he bestowed upon you this holiday season, but then, tell your family you blew it because you have no so-called Christmas decorations. God bless us all and God bless America.

Dan Olson,

business manager,

Laborers’ Local 1091

Tags: opinion, letters