Let's be heard! Local157.blogspot.com is dedicated to empowering and mobilizing the membership into an irresistible force through the free and open exchange of information, ideas and opinions in the belief that as Union members you have the right to information, to hear, and to be heard! A Mobilized Membership Is An Irresistible Force
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
A Mobilized Membership Is An Irresistible Force
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Union carpenters get a new tool: Voting rights
Rank-and-file carpenters will get to vote on their contracts for the first time in their union's history. The question now: Will the deals go through?
By Daniel Massey
Rank-and-file carpenters will get to vote on their contracts for the first time in their union's history, just one month after new leaders took over the organization promising to make it more transparent.
The delegate body of the 25,000-member New York City District Council of Carpenters voted unanimously Wednesday night to allow the union's members to have final say on a series of five contracts negotiated with contractor associations last year.
“We decided that the best way to go forward was for rank-and-file ratification of the contract,” said Mike Bilelo, the union's new executive secretary-treasurer. “It's something I campaigned on. It's part of the transparency of the new district council, the desire for us to put control of the organization back in the hands of the membership.”
A clerical gaffe by leaders of the national carpenters union, which ran the District Council until earlier this year, forced them to table a delegates' vote on the five contracts, which leaders had hoped to push through before the new brain trust was installed.
“We've been in limbo,” said John DeLollis, executive director of the Association of Wall-Ceiling and Carpentry Industries. “At least we're coming to a vote and we'll know where we are. It's very difficult to run a business when you don't know what it's going to cost the next year or the year after.”
Mr. DeLollis said he believed there was a 50-50 chance the contracts would pass. He said contractors would step up efforts to educate employees on the deals and why they should be approved.
The contracts contain a so-called market-recovery rate, which would give contractors a 20% discount on hotel and certain residential work. And they include a controversial “full mobility” provision that would to enable contractors to select any member of the union to work for them; the current system compels them to hire at least one-third of their workers via union referrals.
Mr. Bilelo would not indicate whether he was in favor of the contract, saying he did not want to “taint the process.” He campaigned vigorously against full mobility, but it might be to his benefit to have the contracts pass. He would not be blamed for deals that he did not negotiate and would not face the prospect of messy, complicated negotiations for new deals so early in his tenure.
Simply allowing the votes helps Mr. Bilelo's standing with his members because it involves them in the process.
The deals were agreed to by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, which assumed stewardship of the historically-troubled union after its chief was jailed following a 2009 racketeering scandal.
“It's a good move,” said Dennis Walsh, a monitor appointed by the federal government to oversee the operations of the scandal-plagued union. “I think it's the most direct way to see what the rank and file feel about all of these provisions in these contracts. It's a positive step and it will get the rank and file involved in determining the course that's best for their future.”
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Contract Update: Rank and File to Vote on Contracts
Breaking News: Just got back from the Delegate Body meeting where the Delegate Body in an historic vote, voted to have the rank and file ratify the collective bargaining agreements by mail in ballot, conducted by the American Arbitration Association. Will post more details about this historic vote later...stay tuned.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
An Open Letter to EST Bilello from John Musumeci
Dear Mr. Bilello:
I write in response to malicious statements made and continue to be made against me by your assistant and request a written and public apology by President Lebo.
I have been informed that Mr. Lebo in response to a question at a Local 45 union meeting on January 31, acknowledged responsibility for a “procedural error” on the “motion"to bar members from attending delegate body meetings” and then suggested a rational to bar members.
Citing Amalgamated and the contract negotiations, Lebo singled me out by name as a security risk, alleged I was responsible for the January 10, Crain’s article, “In blow to contractors, gaffe stalls union vote,” he implied I was responsible for the threats of legal action against the District Council by contractor associations and stated he had “written up charges against me” and threatened me in his office. He then said he didn’t file the charges because of “free speech” issues but indicated he may file charges at a later date, saying, “The charges are still in my desk.”
According to one Local 45 member present: "Lebo imputed Musumeci as being detrimental to the health of the union and members."
What kind of game is this, do you intend to run your administration by taking credit when things go right, avoid responsibility, retaliate and find someone else to blame when things go wrong?
Job Opportunities at the District Council
Please read about two job openings at the District Council below.
Director of Communications
We are a non-profit organization located in downtown Manhattan.
We are seeking a Director of Communications to report to our Director of Operations. The Director of Communications will design and direct our external and internal communications strategy. This position is a hands-on role which involves extensive interaction with our members as well as our staff.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Attention Members
Delegate Meeting scheduled for Wednesday February 8, 2012 @ 5PM in the Labor Technical College, 2nd floor Common Room.
Full Employment — For Now
Rebuilding the World Trade Center brings jobs to ironworkers, but not forever
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| Terry Moore, business manager; John Skinner, president and George Fernandez, recording secretary for Local 46 |
By Bendix Anderson, LaborPress Senior Editor
One World Trade Center is now easily visible from much of Manhattan and Brooklyn, towering more than 90 stories over the City.
Full employment has returned to unions like the Metallic Lathers and Reinforcing Ironworkers Local 46, thanks almost entirely to the work of rebuilding. More than a third of Local 46’s members now work at Ground Zero. But the project is now at its peak, and will be finished in a few years. To create new construction jobs for union workers, Local 46 has joined with the rest of the building trades to negotiate project labor agreements that offer concession to developers in return for commitments to build union.
“We’ve got hard decisions to make,” said Terry Moore, the new business manager for Local 46.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Indiana gov. signs right-to-work bill, state becomes Rust Belt’s 1st to enact labor union law
By Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana is the first Rust Belt state to enact the contentious right-to-work labor law prohibiting labor contracts that require workers to pay union representation fees, after Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels signed the bill Wednesday afternoon.
The Senate approved the measure a few hours earlier Wednesday, following weeks of discord that saw House Democrats boycott the Legislature and thousands of protesters gather at the Statehouse.
“Seven years of evidence and experience ultimately demonstrated that Indiana did need a right-to-work law to capture jobs for which, despite our highly rated business climate, we are not currently being considered,” Daniels said in a statement. A spokeswoman said he would not take questions on the measure Wednesday.
Indiana is the first state in a decade to enact a right-to-work law.
Lawmakers voted Wednesday to make Indiana the Rust Belt’s first right-to-work state, passing legislation that prohibits labor contracts requiring workers to pay union representation fees.
Thousands of union members gathered inside the Statehouse chanted “Shame on you!” and “See you at the Super Bowl!” as the vote was announced. Thousands more amassed outside for a rally that spilled into the Indianapolis streets, already bustling with Super Bowl festivities, hoping to point a national spotlight on the state.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Free Speech Under Attack
"In New York it seems corruption in the form of members being intimidated into submission is at it's worst. Men and women are in fear of losing their jobs or of being brought up on bogus union charges."–– William S. Lebo, June 25, 1998
By Richard Dorrough
Much rumor has been flying around concerning potential charges against John Musumeci. John has not reported on this because he needs to maintain a working relationship with his attackers who for the record are Local 157 President Pat Nee and District Council President Bill Lebo.
It was reported on this blog, and I have confirmed with my own sources, that both parties threatened to bring John up on charges. Both were attempting to silence his free speech rights and intimidate him.
Now you have seen the true colors of this new regime that promised rank and file rights and then voted and did nothing to protect the rank and file from access to information in the member's gallery fiasco.
Why did President Lebo accepted the motion to bar members from attending delegate body meetings in the first place since it was out of order, as Walsh has confirmed by his veto, due to its bylaw violation and illegal attempt to amend those bylaws.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Seeking Accounting Firms
Request for Proposal
The NYC & Vicinity District Council of Carpenters is accepting proposals from CPA firms to provide audit (and tax) services for our Council in the future. Interested parties should submit a proposal to us by 5pm on February 10, 2012, for consideration. Response must be sent to:
Matthew Walker, Director of Operations
New York City District Council of Carpenters
395 Hudson St., 9th Fl.
New York, NY 10014
A description of our Council, the services needed, and other pertinent information follows:
Background of NYC & Vicinity District Council of Carpenters
The NYC & Vicinity District Council of Carpenters is a 501(c)(5) Labor Organization, with a related 501(c)(3) Charity Fund , 527 PAC Fund, and two 501(c)(2) title holding corporations. Annual revenues are between $27 million and $29 million per year, and the Council employs 90 people in 2 locations. The Council is membership-based and has approximately 25,000 members. The Council has a June 30 fiscal year-end, with a requirement to file an audited financial statement with the Executive Committee, the Council Delegate Body and general membership and an LM-2 with the Office of Labor Management Standards, Department of Labor by September 30 of each year in addition to applicable tax returns required by the Internal Revenue Service.
Construction starts plunged 31% last year
While the value of residential starts rose 24%, that rebound was more than outweighed by a 39% plunge on the nonresidential side. An industry official calls the trend line “very troubling.”
By Ali Elkin
The value of construction starts in New York City fell 31% last year, largely as a result of a steep decline in nonresidential projects.
In value terms, the data showed $13.8 billion worth of construction projects began in New York in 2011, compared with $20 billion in 2010, according to a statement Monday from the New York Building Congress which cited figures from McGraw-Hill Construction Dodge. The figures cover starts on new buildings as well as restorations.
The only good news was that the value of residential construction starts jumped 24% in value last year. But that was swamped by the 39% plunge in the value of nonresidential starts.
Part of the overall downturn last year stemmed simply from the fact that starts were being compared to 2010, a year when an unusual number—by recent standards, anyway—of high big projects got underway. Seven of them were worth upwards of $500 million on a list headed by a big rehab of Madison Square Garden and the start of work at the Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn. In 2011, there were only two projects that passed the benchmark, John F. Kennedy International Airport's Terminal 4 and the projects related to the No. 7 subway extension. Richard Anderson, president of the New York Building Congress, referred to 2010 in the press release as “year of the big-ticket construction project,” and said a fall off was understandable.
“Still, the 31% decline in New York City is very troubling,” Mr. Anderson said in the statement.
The data also showed a 35% decrease in public works construction not involving buildings, such as the creation of roads and bridges to $2.6 billion worth last year from $4 billion in 2010. Public building construction is down 54% from its 2008 peak.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Review Officer to Delegates: You're Vetoed!
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| Click to enlarge. |
In an article Delegates to Membership: Drop Dead, we reported that a majority of the 100-member delegate body voted to bar the rank and file as new council leadership stood silent and did not argued for or defend the rights of the rank-and-file to attend delegate meetings.
In a letter written today Walsh said, "I find that the motion and its adoption violate the Stipulation and Order and the Bylaws of the District Council."
"As the motion to henceforth bar members from attending delegate body meetings was ultra vires and would function as a de facto amendment of the Bylaws, pursuant to Paragraph 5.b.iii [c and e] of the Stipulation and Order."
Walsh also noted for the record that "rank and file members were in attendance during the entire meeting of January 25, 20l2, without any delegate objecting, and that no harm to the District Council or its affairs ensued."
"The new administration is off to a rocky start, first over 80 elected delegates oppose transparency measures, violate the Bylaws and act undemocratically, then elected council leadership threatens to file charges against John Musumeci, because they are uncomfortable with free speech and the speed of information posted on this blog."
"If this is a prelude of things to come, we were better off under UBC supervision," a rank and filer who wishes to remain anonymous said.
The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society
Someone posted this excellent speech by JFK in the forum. The delegates who voted to bar the membership from delegate meetings, and the new District Council Leaders who sat silently while the rights of the rank-and-file were trampled on, should listen closely to the words of JFK.
The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it.
Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions. Even today, there is little value in insuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it.
And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon by those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment. That I do not intend to permit to the extent that it is in my control.
And no official of my Administration, whether his rank is high or low, civilian or military, should interpret my words here tonight as an excuse to censor the news, to stifle dissent, to cover up our mistakes or to withhold from the press and the public the facts they deserve to know.
Twitter Added to 157 Blog
I just added Twitter to the Blog, so make sure you start following me at 157blogspot.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Delegates To Membership: Drop Dead
That was the clear message sent at last Wednesday delegate meeting when a majority of the 100-member delegate body voted to bar members from attending delegate body meetings.
Rank and filers in attendance were shocked by the action of the delegates and the silence of the newly elected council leaders as delegates voted to deny them access and transparency measures specifically written into the new District Council Bylaws.
"This is outrageous, two weeks into the new administration and we are being shown the door, its back to business as usual," said an angry rank and filer.
"Neither Lebo, nor Bilello, argued for or defended the rights of the rank-and-file to attend delegate meetings, nor did they act in anyway consistent to their platform of "members rights and democracy" which they were elected on."
"Furthermore, by denying member-rights and democracy, the authoritarian BOSS regime Bilello/Lebo has actually given ammunition to Amalgamated, by substantiating claims the UBC is undemocratic and abusive and no improvement therein will occur under the new District Council administration," a member posted.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
NYCDC - New Hire Information
The District Council would like to welcome a new representative, Bob Joule, Local 1556, who came on board on Thursday, January 19, 2012. Mr. Joule will work out of the Business Representative Centers.
Monday, January 23, 2012
From The RO: Proposed Local 157 Appointments
This is in response to your undated letter sent to me via email on January 15, 2012, purporting to appoint an “Executive Committee Delegate pro tem” and two persons as “Delegates pro tem” to “fill vacancies in office until an election is held.
DELEGATE MEETING NOTICE
The District Council has scheduled a Delegate meeting for Wednesday January 25, 2012 @ 6PM in the Labor Technical College 2nd floor common room.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Leaders Uncomfortable with Speed of Free Speech
More than 2600 websites are blocked in the People's Republic of China under the country's policy of Internet censorship.
The dictators ban such sites as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, because the dictators know it is a powerful tool to spread information and it’s packed with democratic power.
With Blogs called microblogs, or weibo in China, the government launched its strongest official measure yet to quell electronic expressions of discontent that threatens to undermine its leaders' firm hold on power.
In the name of defending Chinese cyberspace against "harmful information," the Beijing city government require users who post microblogs to register their real names with the microblogging services—to be verified by government authorities—sweeping away the anonymity that has helped cloak dissidents online.
Even more vexing for officials has been the speed with which information can spread on microblogs.
And the same holds true with some UBC officials. Leaders are nervous and uncomfortable with the quantity and speed of information posted on this blog, they are accustomed to a monopoly of access to the membership and control of information.
Seeing a threat, their instinctive reaction is to attempt to silence by threating to file internal union charges claiming among other things, information posted is "confidential" information about UBC "business" and that by distributing ("or leaking") such "harmful information" to the general public, including employers and media, members have violated the oath (page 91) of membership, acted contrary to his/her responsibility to the UBC, and interfered with the union's performance of its legal or contractual obligations.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
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