Opinions split on labor unions

Re “State of the unions,” Opinion, Feb. 17

Russell Roberts claims that cleaning people routinely earn $20 an hour. They must be the cleaning people who work in ivory towers.

Roberts suggests that a better way to increase wages is to make workers more productive. When they become less productive because of age or injury, simply plug in a young guy.

Perhaps distinguished scholar Roberts should take a sabbatical and get his fingernails dirty in a real job.

FRANK PIMENTEL

Rolling Hills Estates

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I am amazed that an educated person in this country would advocate for unions. Has Harley Shaiken ever wondered why U.S. industries have been moving production overseas for the last half a century? One word: unions.

Anyone who is competent in his or her position can negotiate without the dubious help of a union; those who are not need a union to protect a job they don’t deserve in the first place. If you want to pay another tax (union dues) to yet another government, by all means go for it, but please don’t wish that foolishness on the rest of us.

If you ratchet up the power of unions in the U.S., it will mean a stronger middle class -- in India and China -- and a lot more people out of work here.

WARREN D. LOCKABY

Greenwood, S.C.