Excellent editorial about democracy and open access in last week’s Leader. Control of information is highly suspicious and is often used to mislead people into accepting a position the “leadership” thinks is best without real input from membership.

To this end I would like to point out that my local Grocery Union UFCW 21 refuses to allow for mail-in ballots when contract votes are to be taken and refuses to allow people to see and have enough time to discuss the actual contract prior to the voting.

The “defense” for such denials is that people would throw away their ballots if done by mail, and if they release information about the contract they have found that less people vote. The general information on the pay proposal they have released gives a 30 cent increase benefit for new hires (so minimum wage + 40 cents) but would give some journey level employees a boost of over $6 per hour (to $22 per hour) The actual contract will be less as the companies have yet to respond.

My Union is going to have “informational pickets” at the end of the month. Please let them, the city, our local political parties, and other groups who control information, know that their members should have access to, and time to think about, all the facts and not just those they want you to have and then they call for a vote before you can work out what it really means and discuss it with other members.

Also please push for a minimum wage increase in our county to $15 per hour so we can afford to work here in grocery and restaurants. Thank you.

David Johnson
Port Townsend