On Nov. 4, the American people sent a loud and clear message to elected officials in Congress: They want leadership that will bring about real change in Washington. Lawmakers such as Sen. Olympia Snowe now have the opportunity – with a pro-worker president and a pro-worker majority in Congress – to take a critical step toward reinvigorating the middle class and turning around the nation’s crumbling economy.

By supporting the Employee Free Choice Act – bipartisan legislation making it easier for workers to form unions – Sen. Snowe can help more Americans join and stay in the middle class. Union membership guarantees opportunities for better wages, access to health care, job security, and the ability for those who work hard and play by the rules to achieve the American dream.

I hope Sen. Snowe and other members of Congress will use this new opportunity, by supporting the Employee Free Choice Act, to create positive change that will affect Maine’s working families and future generations to come.

Violet Raymond, Winthrop