Unions in the Massachusetts cities of Springfield and Holyoke are asking the public to attend rallies for justice in Springfield and in the nearby towns of Amherst, Chicopee, Westfield, and West Springfield. On Labor Day, September 7, from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m., there will be a rally in Amherst for workers' rights. The public is welcome for all or part of that time. For more information, contact Jocelyn Silverlight by phone at (908) 601-6342 or by e-mail: jocelyn@uaw2322.org.

On September 15 and September 16, there will be rallies for workers' rights in Chicopee, Springfield, Westfield, and West Springfield from 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. The public is welcome for all or part of that time. For more information contact Jon Weissman of Western Mass Jobs with Justice by phone at (413) 827-0301 or by e-mail: payrite@wmjwj.org.

On average, workers in the USA make about 25 percent higher wages when they join a union. That's according to www.bls.gov.

Most union contracts say workers can only be fired for "just cause." Non-union workers can be fired at any time for no reason.

Millions of workers in the USA are union members, including all the workers at UPS, Stop and Shop, and at the food co-ops in Northampton, Greenfield, and Brattleboro.

The American political system is widely seen as corrupt because it takes millions of dollars to run a successful campaign for congress or to be president. That money usually comes from rich people, who generally don't want politicians to raise taxes on millionaires to help poor people. Working class Americans are often so busy trying to make enough money to pay their rent or mortgage they don't have time to get involved in politics. Last year, just 36 percent of Americans bothered to vote to decide who would be in congress. Unions help reduce economic inequality, thereby increasing democracy.