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Local 804 members closer to changing IBT by-laws
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<blockquote data-quote="local804" data-source="post: 316310" data-attributes="member: 1123"><p>The Aftermath</p><p></p><p>It was an unbelievable exhibition of irony. The Executive Board railing against "disunity" yet it was this type of disrespectful performance by our Board that truly causes disunity. </p><p></p><p>After the meeting, which ran almost an hour and a half, most members didn’t want to leave the hall. They felt that something happened at this union meeting. Someone said: "They had no right to speak to us that way!" </p><p></p><p></p><p>Well this member got part of it right. It’s that this Executive Board just doesn’t get it at all. Under Ron Carey’s leadership we grew ; we were kept informed; we were respected; we were rewarded with good contracts. Other locals around the country have leaders who are ahead of the curve, who are pro-active ( do lots of organizing, are active politically, get their rank-and-file involved, fight for strong, non-concessionary contracts, etc)- unions willing to take chances by taking on the company . Union leadership that welcomes an open forum of dialogue with its membership.</p><p></p><p>But not here in Local 804 (at least not these days). Our Executive Board calls this kind of forum "dividing the union." I call this democracy in action. We pay their salaries; they are our elected officials. Speaking out is part of being in a democratic union ; it’s something to be proud of. But they still say we divide the union</p><p></p><p></p><p>Well as usual, they are not getting what’s really happening within our union. The division exists; it is true but not among the rank-and-file! It exists between the leadership and the membership! This is not fostered by TDU or any other entity, but by the leadership itself! </p><p></p><p>They have forced our collective hand to take the initiative . This union became "divided" the day the Executive Board left Ron Carey hanging in the wind when he needed our support. </p><p></p><p>Yet they are angry at us, the rank-and-file , for challenging their authority. Though, in theory, challenging the leadership should actually strengthen our union. If not challenged, leadership gets stale and ignores innovation. </p><p></p><p>I guess "for the times we are in" criticizing is out of order in our union...unless of course you show up with a "solution." Welcome to the Soviet Politburo ..comrade. </p><p></p><p>Memo to the Executive Board: You guys work for us...we have every right to question every single one of you...we pay you a hefty salary and have given you a pretty good life. The least this Board can do is hear our grievances!</p><p></p><p>But let’s face it, after the past few years , the trust is gone. Their "experience" and personal history mean nothing anymore. This entire Board is complicit in the fiasco of the past 10 years: deserting Carey, supporting Hoffa, ignoring Leedham, the pension fiasco, concessionary contracts, etc. </p><p></p><p>I know that some members like certain Board members personally...fine...but a line has been crossed. Collective guilt deserves collective punishment. Hopefully , next year the membership will dole out that punishment loud and clear. </p><p></p><p>At the Union Meeting, it must be noted that the "fair contract" was not brought up by the Board. They must have been embarrassed by the rank-and-file showing them up in the 3 to 1 vote against the contract. So what did they do...they went on the offensive...attacking the members. </p><p></p><p></p><p>But this is nothing new. One of the Board members in particular, likes to complain about how I come to "his building" and hand out my newsletter to my fellow rank-and-file 804 members. Mind you, this is at a UPS facility, but to him, it is his building.</p><p></p><p>That’s part of the problem with this Executive Board: they assume they own us! That the membership is supposed to bow down before them. Guys who haven’t been on a truck or even touched a package for years or used a DIAD board ever are literally out of touch with this membership. And they want us to practically kiss their ring . As though we owe them so much for doing their jobs. Maybe they are waiting to be tipped. Well I have a tip for them...change is coming to Local 804!</p><p></p><p>Nevertheless, once again, the rank-and-file has taken the bold initiative: 2,000 members signed the petition demonstrating the will of the membership. It seems that while our Executive Board is standing still in time, this rank-and-file movement is growing and is showing the way by leading from below by mobilizing the members to the large NO vote. </p><p></p><p>The movement now demands a changing of the bylaws to open up the process about OUR MONEY! This is a true grass-roots movement ; no one is paid to stand out in the cold handing out flyers to inform the membership. All volunteers, on our own time , on our own dime whether it’s after work on a Thursday night getting signatures at the 43rd St building or in the early morning before work at the Nassau building.</p><p></p><p>No Howie, this is not just "disagreeing to be disagreeable." This is a new way of connecting with the rank-and-file. As Mastandrea said earlier "they are starving for information." One faction does not hold the monopoly on ideas and solutions. Furthermore, being in the leadership for 30 years or 30 months isn’t an entitlement to know what’s right for the membership. </p><p></p><p>However, the rank-and-file has woken up. They are learning what this Board is all about, what is has done and , more importantly, what has not done. Redmond claims "that I would do nothing to hurt this union." In his heart, this might be very true, but operationally, this union has been diminished over the past 10 years! </p><p></p><p>Though it must be admitted that it might be difficult to replace a Ron Carey who made all the right moves for us, it has been 10 long years of decay. This has been 804's first lost decade..the decade of decay: minuscule raises, frozen pensions, rising co-pays, higher dues, concessions, etc. </p><p></p><p></p><p>But let’s not kid ourselves here: it is not the rank-and-file who have budged...it has been the Executive Board that has changed. They stopped fighting, took the safe road by appeasing Hoffa , concessions to UPS. It was they who made the first move...they left us. Maybe the rank-and-file was too complacent due to our trust in what Ron Carey put together here and we assumed we were getting the same type of leadership.</p><p></p><p>Well, we have given them 10 long years to create some legacy of their own. But when you look closely, they don’t have a "legacy" to stand on. That added to the fact that this Executive Board has lost as much credibility as it has, frankly makes it imperative to make a big change. Not change for change sake. But real progress with a new leadership with new fresh ideas to move us forward. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Very very good meeting. I had to split up the page because brown cafe dont let you post over 16k words in one post.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="local804, post: 316310, member: 1123"] The Aftermath It was an unbelievable exhibition of irony. The Executive Board railing against "disunity" yet it was this type of disrespectful performance by our Board that truly causes disunity. After the meeting, which ran almost an hour and a half, most members didn’t want to leave the hall. They felt that something happened at this union meeting. Someone said: "They had no right to speak to us that way!" Well this member got part of it right. It’s that this Executive Board just doesn’t get it at all. Under Ron Carey’s leadership we grew ; we were kept informed; we were respected; we were rewarded with good contracts. Other locals around the country have leaders who are ahead of the curve, who are pro-active ( do lots of organizing, are active politically, get their rank-and-file involved, fight for strong, non-concessionary contracts, etc)- unions willing to take chances by taking on the company . Union leadership that welcomes an open forum of dialogue with its membership. But not here in Local 804 (at least not these days). Our Executive Board calls this kind of forum "dividing the union." I call this democracy in action. We pay their salaries; they are our elected officials. Speaking out is part of being in a democratic union ; it’s something to be proud of. But they still say we divide the union Well as usual, they are not getting what’s really happening within our union. The division exists; it is true but not among the rank-and-file! It exists between the leadership and the membership! This is not fostered by TDU or any other entity, but by the leadership itself! They have forced our collective hand to take the initiative . This union became "divided" the day the Executive Board left Ron Carey hanging in the wind when he needed our support. Yet they are angry at us, the rank-and-file , for challenging their authority. Though, in theory, challenging the leadership should actually strengthen our union. If not challenged, leadership gets stale and ignores innovation. I guess "for the times we are in" criticizing is out of order in our union...unless of course you show up with a "solution." Welcome to the Soviet Politburo ..comrade. Memo to the Executive Board: You guys work for us...we have every right to question every single one of you...we pay you a hefty salary and have given you a pretty good life. The least this Board can do is hear our grievances! But let’s face it, after the past few years , the trust is gone. Their "experience" and personal history mean nothing anymore. This entire Board is complicit in the fiasco of the past 10 years: deserting Carey, supporting Hoffa, ignoring Leedham, the pension fiasco, concessionary contracts, etc. I know that some members like certain Board members personally...fine...but a line has been crossed. Collective guilt deserves collective punishment. Hopefully , next year the membership will dole out that punishment loud and clear. At the Union Meeting, it must be noted that the "fair contract" was not brought up by the Board. They must have been embarrassed by the rank-and-file showing them up in the 3 to 1 vote against the contract. So what did they do...they went on the offensive...attacking the members. But this is nothing new. One of the Board members in particular, likes to complain about how I come to "his building" and hand out my newsletter to my fellow rank-and-file 804 members. Mind you, this is at a UPS facility, but to him, it is his building. That’s part of the problem with this Executive Board: they assume they own us! That the membership is supposed to bow down before them. Guys who haven’t been on a truck or even touched a package for years or used a DIAD board ever are literally out of touch with this membership. And they want us to practically kiss their ring . As though we owe them so much for doing their jobs. Maybe they are waiting to be tipped. Well I have a tip for them...change is coming to Local 804! Nevertheless, once again, the rank-and-file has taken the bold initiative: 2,000 members signed the petition demonstrating the will of the membership. It seems that while our Executive Board is standing still in time, this rank-and-file movement is growing and is showing the way by leading from below by mobilizing the members to the large NO vote. The movement now demands a changing of the bylaws to open up the process about OUR MONEY! This is a true grass-roots movement ; no one is paid to stand out in the cold handing out flyers to inform the membership. All volunteers, on our own time , on our own dime whether it’s after work on a Thursday night getting signatures at the 43rd St building or in the early morning before work at the Nassau building. No Howie, this is not just "disagreeing to be disagreeable." This is a new way of connecting with the rank-and-file. As Mastandrea said earlier "they are starving for information." One faction does not hold the monopoly on ideas and solutions. Furthermore, being in the leadership for 30 years or 30 months isn’t an entitlement to know what’s right for the membership. However, the rank-and-file has woken up. They are learning what this Board is all about, what is has done and , more importantly, what has not done. Redmond claims "that I would do nothing to hurt this union." In his heart, this might be very true, but operationally, this union has been diminished over the past 10 years! Though it must be admitted that it might be difficult to replace a Ron Carey who made all the right moves for us, it has been 10 long years of decay. This has been 804's first lost decade..the decade of decay: minuscule raises, frozen pensions, rising co-pays, higher dues, concessions, etc. But let’s not kid ourselves here: it is not the rank-and-file who have budged...it has been the Executive Board that has changed. They stopped fighting, took the safe road by appeasing Hoffa , concessions to UPS. It was they who made the first move...they left us. Maybe the rank-and-file was too complacent due to our trust in what Ron Carey put together here and we assumed we were getting the same type of leadership. Well, we have given them 10 long years to create some legacy of their own. But when you look closely, they don’t have a "legacy" to stand on. That added to the fact that this Executive Board has lost as much credibility as it has, frankly makes it imperative to make a big change. Not change for change sake. But real progress with a new leadership with new fresh ideas to move us forward. Very very good meeting. I had to split up the page because brown cafe dont let you post over 16k words in one post. [/QUOTE]
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