The factory had no union
When I was hired.
If you did not produce enough
Soon you would be fired.

Then in came the union
And from the workers it did save
The fear of a tyrant foreman
And a life as a slave.

For the small amount of money
That we pay out in dues
We can now earn enough money
To live the life that we choose.

We also earn the benefits
Of vacation with pay
And a chance to retire
When we get old and gray.

If you need dental care
Or if you get very ill
The good health benefits
Will help to pay the bill.

So be glad that the union
A good contract they made.
When you needed their help
They came to your aid.

Melvin Germain
UAW Local 600 retiree
Lake Wales, Fla.

* Brother Germain will turn 90 on May 26.

Howard Boyer
UAW Local 969 retiree
Corpus Christi, Texas

First they came for the union jobs in manufacturing, but I was not a union worker so I did not speak out.

Then they came for the high-tech and engineering jobs, but I was neither so I did not speak out.

Then they came for the college professors, furniture manufacturers and computer programmer jobs, but I was not concerned so I did not speak out.

And when they came for my job, there was no one left to speak out for me.