[IronJack]

Was the plant unionized? If so, I have little sympathy for the unemployed. Otherwise, this is a chilling vision of America's future if we don't do something about it.

[ozone1]

Unionized? yep.

At least 7,000 unionized manufacturing jobs were lost last year in Maine. Did them a lot of good. A week per year worked severance and some retraining for a job that doesn't exist up here.

[nanny]

[Was the plant unionized? If so, I have little sympathy for the unemployed]

Unionized or not - those jobs are lost and less people are paying into the tax pot. You do realize what that means don't you. You are going to have to 'put a little more into the pot'.

I am not now, nor have I ever been, a supporter or a member of a union. But things are getting bad in this country. The economy is bad, companies are still leaving, and illegals are still coming.

It is just folly to believe we can constantly export jobs, import workers (who can't support themselves), and continue to be a country.

It is everyone's right to be anti-union and I am and have always been so, but I also realize union workers pay taxes, educate their children, obey the laws, buy houses (without taxpayers aid), and in general are contributors to this country.

Yes, the unions are being weakened , for now, but far more damage is being done to the way of life we have enjoyed here. I just can't be happy about that.

[FITZ]

The garment workers here made between $6 and $10 an hour, few made more than $10. Just this one city has lost 14,000 of these garment industry jobs, what few jobs coming in pay less except telemarketer jobs which pay about $8 an hour but those aren't enjoyable jobs to have unless you like having people cuss you out. I don't know what garment workers in other areas of the country made but I doubt those were ever anything but low blue-collar wages anywhere.