A strike isn't such a bad idea

The letter "Strike isn't the way to do business" (June 12) misses a couple of very important points with his suggestion to unionize Wal-Mart.

First, maybe the Wal-Mart workers don't want to join a union. Or maybe they don't want to pay a good chunk of their salary to a union that spends it on political candidates and-or issues the worker doesn't support. Or perhaps they don't like the possibility of someday being forced by the union bosses to strike against their employer, which is a very important union right under the collective bargaining process. Whatever the reason, the bottom line is they just don't want a union.

The second missed point is that a strike by unionized workers at Raley's, Save Mart and Safeway would be a big boost for the economy here in Northern California. Think about it. The striking union member would receive generous strike benefits from their union bosses to spend in the community. In addition, the thousands of out-of-work or underemployed replacement workers hired by the grocery chains would also spend their generous wages in the community. Sounds like a win-win to me. Maybe a strike is the way to do business.

CLIFF OILAR

Modesto