Ritter can't be trusted to keep his word

This is in response to Rob Reuteman's column last Saturday, "AFL-CIO's attempt to bully Ritter is blackmail." If Mr. Ritter said he was going to do something to get your vote and when the time comes to fulfill his word and he reneges on that promise, what do you call it? If you think it was OK for him to change his mind, then I would think your word is like his: It does not mean anything.

The problem with society today is exactly like your thinking: A person's word is only given to get what he wants but not enough to make it mean something. It does not matter if I agree with the pro-union bill or not, what matters is Ritter said he was going to do something to buy the vote of the AFL-CIO. When it came time to follow through with the promise, his word was not worth the time he took to give it.

I will tell you I voted for the man, but not the next time. It is evident I can't believe anything he says.

Jake Fedler, Denver

Labor built nation's middle class

I have been a union member since the 1950s. I joined when I was 18 years old, and for me and my family, it was the smartest thing I have ever done.

I resent Reuteman's name-calling of the leadership of the AFL-CIO. They and thousands of other labor leaders in this country built the middle class.

Try and remember the 1930s when we were poorer than church mice; with the help of F.D.R., we became middle-class citizens, taxpayers, upstanding members of our communities. Now that unions are declining, the middle class is vanishing as well.

Our jobs have been exported to foreign lands, and big business keeps making billions for CEOs. Labor has always been there when called upon. We do not appreciate broken promises without a better reason than we have been given.

Frank Lay, Lakewood

Secret ballot is best way to resolve issues

Reuteman's explanation of the governor's veto last week was well presented. Having seen both sides of the issue firsthand, I can say that the wrath of a woman scorned is a walk in the park compared to a dissenting opinion by a union member during stressful times.

During the mid-1980s, strikes and threats of strikes were the name of the game. I witnessed the pressure exerted to toe the line. A member could be fined or expelled for going to hear in a public meeting what the company had to say. The worker's picture was taken and posted. I am not against unions, but their pressure exerted is far more serious than that put forth by the company. The secret ballot is the only way to assure a semi-valid resolution of issues.

Jim Reid, Denver

It's politics as usual

Blackmail? Come now, sounds like normal hardball American politics to me.

Tom Koller, Thornton

Forming union was answer to management

I started working at Front Range Energy last March along with 30-some other new employees. We were hired to operate a new $60 million ethanol plant. At my interview, I was told that in the next year I would be making in the range of mid-$20 per hour, plus health and vacation benefits. Front Range lied to several of us from the very start of training. On the very first pay period, seven new hires complained to the plant manager that their starting wages were $1 per hour less than agreed upon at hiring. They were told that it was all they could pay at this time and it would be made up to them.

We became dissatisfied quickly after full production began and we did not receive any of the things promised from this management. We organized and voted in a union. The management team has harassed the people it thinks were union supporters before and after the elections so that others will be afraid to join. We have received no pressure from the union to join, but management has been terrible to us. Most people seem to think that unions are a bad thing. I have to admit I have never been a big fan. I can only tell you that until you have been part of this kind of harassment can you truly appreciate what a union can do for you.

R. Timothy Hunteman, Windsor

Regarding Rob Reuteman's March 3 column

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