This is in response to the March 5 letter headlined 'Steelworkers should be ashamed.'

As president of the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR) in Hamilton, I have to respond to this letter.

I would suggest the writer get his facts correct before he makes statements against the United Steelworkers. The federal government did not bail out the United Steelworkers last year with millions of taxpayer dollars. The federal government gave money to Arcelor Mittal (Dofasco), the large plant in Hamilton which is non-union. The portion of Arcelor Mittal that is union, formerly Stelwire, was bought by Arcelor Mittal and did not receive government money.

I was one of the 350 union members from across Canada who took part in lobbying all MPs in Ottawa on Feb. 26. We lobbied MPs on national pharmacare and pensions. We were not steel lobbyists as you suggest in your letter. We were requesting fairness for all workers when companies go bankrupt or are in bankruptcy protection through legislation where workers come first before other creditors. This would have protected worker pensions at companies such as Sears, Nortel, Wabush Mines, AbitibiBowater/Resolute Forest Products and Stelco, to name a few.

When workers bargain wages whether union or non-union, in most cases they defer wages for retirement with their employer into a pension or RRSP. It is like putting money into a savings account at a bank or an investment and, when you retire, expect to draw out as you require. What would happen if one expected this and there was nothing or a portion of the investment left in the account when one retires.

MP Bob Bratina's outburst was like a spoiled child who doesn't get his way. Our lobbying was done with courtesy and respect which we received in return from everyone except for Mr. Bratina. When Mr. Bratina was campaigning as MP to represent members of Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, he promised workers and retirees of U.S. Steel/Stelco he would let open the toolbox and let them know the terms of the secret deal with U.S. Steel made by the previous government. I guess he lost the key. The delegation that met with Mr. Bratina did not ask about U.S. Steel deal, only presented the need for federal legislation to protect pensions for all workers in Canada, whether union or non-union, in case of company bankruptcy or bankruptcy protection. Yes, they did ask him when he would be having a steel caucus meeting, of which he is chair. This meeting does not only include union members but others, like other MPs. Mr. Bratina is missing in action. As chair he has not scheduled any steel caucus meetings. One of the members of the delegation that met with him is one of his constituents.

Yes, Mr. Bratina does owe an apology not only to the United Steelworkers but to those constituents he was elected to represent from Hamilton East-Stoney Creek.

Mr. Bratina is a bully. Feb. 27 was Pink T-Shirt Day against Bullying. April 10 is the International Day of Pink against bullying. Maybe Mr. Bratina should come to the Steelworkers for some training against bullying or maybe it should be offered to him by the federal Liberal government in Ottawa, of which he is a member.

But then again, when a motion was bought forward in the House of Commons requesting an apology, the government voted against it.

In closing, once a bully always a bully.

Lena Sutton is president of Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR Chapter 10) Hamilton