As a former vice president of a union, I am utterly outraged by the anti-union ads I am seeing on TV. I was a high school science teacher, not a member of the Mafia. Seniority was seniority, not a privilege of membership. No one was forced, shamed or intimidated into joining and most people recognized that the union was critical in protecting teachers from being dismissed without just cause.

Many companies, such as Wal-Mart, are opposed to unions because they hold the employer to fair labor practices and work to improve working conditions, pay rates and benefits. And big companies can afford to buy TV time to mislead voters about unions.

When these ads aren’t busy with union bashing, they are implying that Rep. Tom Allen has sponsored legislation that will aid those Mafia-like enforcers to intimidate people into joining. This is untrue, like the rest of the ads! The Employee Free Choice Act that Allen supports gives workers an additional way to signup for a union, but it does not take away their right to a secret ballot.

The next time you see one of these ads, ask a few questions. Who is really paying for these ads? Why are they being run now and in Maine? These ads are intended to present Allen in a negative way, perhaps because Sen. Susan Collins is a big supporter of big business?

Joanne Dunlap, Rangeley