On Labor Day weekend, many Americans celebrated the contributions that unions like the United Auto Workers have made to the workplace. As a Ford hourly employee, I don’t take these historic improvements for granted.

But in recent decades the UAW has used its power to pursue contract demands that benefit the union’s bottom line — many times at the expense of workers. Not surprisingly, auto workers have often rejected the UAW’s attempts at expansion. Most recently, workers at a Nissan plant in Mississippi voted against UAW representation by a nearly two-to-one margin. A union still clinging onto a business model from the 1950s, not to mention archaic contract demands, could be detrimental to both legacy and newer tech-driven automakers.

If the UAW would simply devote its members’ dues to ensuring reasonable wage and working conditions rather than using them for political and personal ambitions, they might still have some value on a voluntary basis. However, there is no indication that UAW officials are willing to be reasonable and practical with their members’ money.

Terry Bowman

Ypsilanti, Michigan