Susan Kniep's recent comments about forcing union members to make more concessions to relieve the "heartache" among state taxpayers ["Arbitration Puts Public Unions In Driver's Seat," CTOpinion, March 29] shows how out of touch she is.

Members of two bargaining units representing public service workers in Ms. Kniep's own town of East Hartford recently agreed to concessions that provide labor cost savings of $650,000 to $750,000 in the next two fiscal years. If Ms. Kniep actually read The Courant, she would have seen this reported at the end of January.

Also, in recent years, the binding arbitration Ms. Kniep opposes has benefited employers more often than workers in the public sector. A study by the General Assembly's Program Review and Investigations Committee found that municipal arbitrators favor "last best offers" made by management on all the major economic issues.

Ms. Kniep can dance around it all she wants, but public service workers today do make sacrifices and are a part of the budget solution in their towns.

Michael DaytonGlastonbury

The writer is town planner for East Hartford and president of the East Hartford Municipal Employees Union.