Union membership in America provides many benefits beyond just being able to exercise our collective strength to protect worker safety and improve our wages and working conditions. One of the most important benefits we enjoy is the fact that the law of the land provides union members certain invaluable protections. It guarantees our right to lawful assembly, our right to select our representatives without interference. It also protects union members from abuse by greedy corporations, and by unscrupulous union officers. Right now, certain UTU officers and employees are under investigation on charges of racketeering. Thanks to these laws, anyone who has abused their office will be identified and punished, and those who have acted with integrity and honor will be exonerated. Regardless of the outcome of those ongoing investigations, we must not give up on unionism. Rather, we should appreciate the protections that we enjoy, and renew our commitment to the movement that has helped us achieve those benefits.