Letter: Right to work vs. right to organize

If I hear the term "right to work" one more time, I think I'll burst a vein. Now, thanks to the Supreme Court's ruling on allowing certain public workers to be exempt from paying union dues, the use of that infamous term has crept into the national scene. Until now, that term has been limited mostly to my sphere here in Utah, which is a non union state.

So what does "right to work" really mean? It's a much more palatable phrase than its true meaning: "right to exploit workers." To all of you who disdain of unions, let me ask you: Do you think that collective bargaining is a better, more powerful way for a group of workers to make demands concerning salaries, schedules, workers rights, and various other necessities for doing a good job? If you answer "yes," then some kind of organization must be behind the negotiations.

John R. Peterson

Salt Lake City