It’s almost hard to believe that our governor once again is trying to blame unionized workers for his lack of ability to produce jobs (“LePage touts record, urges more reforms at State of the State,” Feb. 5).

Although more than 85 percent of Maine workers are non-union, he would like us to believe that the very small 15 percent of Maine’s organized workers are a deterrent to potential employers.

The governor knows all too well that employers who pay less than living wage standards end up costing the state. Maine workers who can only get part-time work or work for minimum wage often have to rely on the state for things such as medical assistance, food stamps and heating assistance.

However, workers who make a living wage (like organized workers) not only spend their hard-earned dollars in Maine (helping the economy), they also do not drain state resources as the minimum-wage or part-time workers often do.

The fact that right-to-work states have a far lower median household income and are in just as bad as or often in worse shape than Maine should be enough for anyone to understand that right-to-work is bad for everyone.

I ponder the governor’s motives with his right-to-work talk. Is it the living wage or affordable benefits he fears Maine workers want? Maine has enough low-paying and/or part-time jobs.

No one works harder for all of Maine’s workers when it comes to fighting to preserve living wages and affordable benefits than organized labor. “Right-to-work” does the opposite.

John Jordan

Biddeford