These are comments on Rob Hoey’s guest column titled “Paying union should be choice for state employees.” (May 13).

As a state worker, Mr. Hoey does not seem to realize that it’s thanks to the union, or rather thanks to the workers standing together in negotiating with their employer, in this case, the state of Maine, that he enjoys much of the benefits that he is enjoying at his place of work today.

He may be right in that he should not be forced to share in the costs of negotiating to maintain or increase those benefits, since he does not have a choice in the matter. But Mr. Hoey’s position would be more believable to me, however, if at the same time, he would express a willingness to forego those benefits he is enjoying today.

At the discretion of his employer, he should be willing to work more than 40 hours a week without any extra compensation; work on weekends; have no paid vacations or paid sick time; no paid holidays, in fact no holidays at all; no health insurance and no retirement benefits to look forward to, etc.

If Mr. Hoey is willing to forego those benefits, or prefers to negotiate for them on his own, without the benefit of the solidarity of his co-workers, maybe he is right. He should not be forced to pay.

Incidentally, contrary to what Mr. Hoey suggests, the non-union employees did not “decide” to pay for their share of union dues. The court system itself felt it was the fair thing to do.

And, finally, it is true, as he suggests, there is “no draft to compel citizens to perform the necessary task of defending the country,” but he fails to mention that the citizens are compelled to pay their fair share in the form of taxes to support those who defend our country.

Donald LaBranche, Lewiston