A capable man with whom my husband has worked for many years was recently called into the supervisor’s office, where he apparently was reprimanded. After the meeting, the man left the building, and took his life.

I wonder if the man would be alive with his family and still working today if a labor expert had accompanied him to that reprimand.

But that workplace is not unionized, so the man had no one to arbitrate or advocate his viewpoint, or simply witness what was being said.

I have received union assistance on the job maybe once every 10 years, and was darn thankful.

A recent front page declares Paul LePage’s interest to restrict power of labor unions. Such news makes my skin crawl. Why do our businesses wish disposable workers? Even excellent ones? Why does government raid union retirement funds? Didn’t we learn anything from Wisconsin? Is Gov. Scott Walker a hero of LePage? What will this “targeting labor unions” fight cost us all? What dark history are we about to repeat?

Support Fairpoint strikers. They are illustrating similar points.

Businesses may be able to dispose of and replace a worker, but that father and husband will never come home.

Heidi Chadbourne

Manchester

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