By Lawrence D’Errico, Business Manager, Local 157
I am grateful for the opportunity to personally address the members of Local Union 157 and bring you up to date on what the Local has been doing since we began supervision by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters.
On November 26th, 2007, I received a letter from UBC General President Douglas McCarron informing me that our Local was being placed under UBC supervision, to be overseen by UBC Eastern District Vice President Frank Spencer as Supervisor and NYC District Council of Carpenters (NYCDCC) Executive Secretary-Treasurer (EST) Michael Forde as Assistant Supervisor.
We have sent a newsletter, (read below) from which this message is copied, that is the first of my ongoing efforts to keep everyone informed.
In the newsletter, page one is Vice President Spencer’s report on the official steps leading to supervision. Page four is a letter from EST Forde on why he is so supportive of Local 157. My reports on the two middle pages detail many aspects of Local 157’s good health.
LU 157 VETERANS JOIN STAFF TO BOOST REPRESENTATION EFFORTS
Upon receipt of the letter from President McCarron, the two supervisors appointed me, Lawrence D’Errico, as Business Manager of Local 157. They also assigned Brothers Anthony Pugliese, Ramadan “Rambo” Ibric, Richard Tuccillo and Michael Murphy to be our Business Representatives. For those of you who don’t know us, here is some background:
- I am a 24-year Local 157 member and have held the elected positions of Recording Secretary and Council Delegate. I have been a Journeyman, Shop Steward, and Foreman, and, for the past 12 years, a local union Business Representative. I also serve as a Labor Trustee for the NYCDCC Benefit Funds.
- Anthony Pugliese, Local 157, has 33 years as a UBC Journeyman, Steward, Foreman, and, for the past 10 years, a Council Organizer. He is on Community Board 6 in Brooklyn.
- Ramadan “Rambo” Ibric, Local 157, a 22-year member, has been a UBC Journeyman, Foreman, and a Council Organizer for the past 10 years. He is on Community Board 5 in Queens.
- Richard Tuccillo, Local 157, is a 22-year UBC veteran with more than 10 years as a Council Representative covering trade show work, grievance processing, and other duties.
- Michael Murphy, Local 608, has 21 years in the Brotherhood with the past 6 as a Council Representative. He also works very closely with our Anti-Corruption Program.
I have worked with all of these men for many years and sincerely thank Supervisors Spencer and Forde for allowing them to assist me at Local 157. I also want to thank Council EST Michael Forde, President Peter Thomassen and Vice President Denis Sheil for their ongoing support during this transition.
I am honored to have outstanding members like Brothers Pugliese, Ibric, Tuccillo, and Murphy joining me in representing Local 157. I know my fellow members will give them the same respect we have always shown to officers of Local 157.
WORK IS STRONG, AND LOCAL 157 WILL BE EVEN STRONGER
Brothers and Sisters, I look forward to working with you and with the leaders of our membership and our Council. Together, we will move this great Local forward to an even brighter future. I will be making ongoing reports to keep you fully up to date.
As always, Local 157’s doors remain completely open to all. Please feel free to contact me at any time with any questions or concerns. I wish you all continued health and safety.
Supervision Newsletter Feb
When are the union meetings going to start again?
ReplyDeleteYou indicate in your closing sentence " As always 157's doors are open " How ludicrous. There's barely daylight as it stands today and let me remind you that it is the membership not the II or anyone else who got these guys removed. Weather anonymously or otherwise the calls some years ago indicating this behavior came from the membership. I will hold other cu dos however expecting that the SDNY had to run into impropriaties by these delegates as a result of investigating members calls. Does anyone think those calls didn't include the phrase, - there's off sheet guys and the Business agent never shows up. Who are you trying to kid. Lets see one more thing. The fact you remain weather on your own or sanctioned by the UBC there's the sense of your involvement for you couldn't have turned a blind eye all that time. To SDNY; You guy's have the investigative power that seems to elude the membership. In the SDNY's own description " the CBA is being used as a tool of extortion " How can we believe anyone leftover in local 157 after the storm clears for some were more affected than others and have been given reason to still trust no-one left standing.
ReplyDeleteCoup d’état Of Local 157
ReplyDeleteLawrence D’Errico has violated the constitution and his fiduciary duty by not demanding of Mr. Spencer a meeting of the members of local 157 to install a Pro Tem President.
Under the UBC Constitution he has the right and the duty to fill the vacated positions at Local 157. This duty is outlined in Section 32D and gives the recording secretary of the Local the right and duty to call a “meeting to order” and in the absence of a President and Vice President those Present shall elect a “President Pro Tem”.
For D’Errico to state the “two supervisors appointed me”, Lawrence D’Errico” is to admit that the constitution has been violated.
In his letter he says “I am honored to have outstanding members like brothers Pugliese, Ibric, Tuccillo and Murphy joining me in representing local 157.” Where in the constitution does it say a business manager and appointed business reps represent the members of local 157? What happened to the duly elected officers of local 157?
Lawrence is the recording secretary; he now sends a newsletter out to the members acting like the president of local 157.
Members must not allow this Coup d’état; we demand a vote to elect a “President Pro Tem” NOW!
Lawrence the Dictator
ReplyDeleteIs this what you call "New Leadership"! Why didn't you mention in your letter the duly elected officers of local 157 who's rights you are trampling?
Why didn't you mention anything about resuming local meetings?
I thought the President of the local speaks for the local. Where does it say the business manager represents and speaks for the membership?
Is this how you intend to move the local forward?
It seems to me that these "anonyous comments" trying to rip the present leadership of 157 is coming from the not so anonymous John himself. These comments are really unfounded, these guys left holding rhe bag are doing a great job keeping our fair local afloat. I'm a member over 25 years, have seen plenty over the course of my time and let me tell you...the guys hat did wrong are paying for their mistakes and so they should. There's no justification to try to damage te repuation of hard working men for doing the right thing. Maybe those of you who maybe haven't been around so long shold consider this, John is brother of Billy Hanleys wife, cousin in law to Demorata and would not think twice about hanging both of them to make himself look good. I remember 'd give his left arm to get "appointed"and noone would have to her this bll now. Grow up and be a Brother...Support your officers and your reps. That's the only way our great Local will survive. Give credit where its do and say Thank you to those who are busting ass to prove themselves with hard work. Give your personal vendetta a break. Stop trying to stir the pot its getting really old!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to say Thank You to the officers of 157 for keeping the Local alive. I also have done my homework and feel very cmfortable with the guys up there because I KNOW they're working for me. Best of Luck to you and may you have success. There are many of us who see things for what they are and we are grateful. John
Hi,
ReplyDeleteThanks guy for you last comment. I think that John M. likes to hear himself talk. He tries to persuade people into thinking that these guys were treated unfairly. Wasn't anybody at the trials? I went in the morning and was blown away by the evidence they showed. They had no defense thats why they went with their tails between their legs, no defense, they got caught. Let's not put them on a pedistal for being thieves. Before you make all these statements about the laws and what this one and that one should have done, get all the facts. There were just a handful of faces at those trials and noone had anything to say once the evidence was shown so lets give it up and go forward and keep 157 alive. Thanks for listening.
To 25-year member, thank you for your comments first let me correct you I do not post anonymously. My comment policy is as follows:
ReplyDeleteComment Policy: Comments are welcome here and on all articles. I would ask that if you would like to leave a comment that you think of this website as your online meeting union hall and that you wouldn’t say anything on this site that you wouldn’t, as an invited guest, say at a union meeting. Constructive criticism is welcome, as we all benefit from such advice. Rude, mean, or obnoxious comments are not welcome and will not be approved to post. Please restrict your comments to the topic at hand, for the benefit of all who may be reading.
You have your opinion others my have a different opinion which is in opposite of yours. I do not necessarily agree with your comments, which I find rude and insulting, however these are your opinions.
You shouldn’t be so thinned skinned when another member has an opinion that you don’t like.
We can all agree that we want a strong local with strong leadership but there may be disagreement in opinion on how we get there.
Another anonymous member posted a comment where he has some interesting interpretations and opinions about the constitution and the supervision. I posted the comments in the main section (Constitution Discussion). I invite you to share your views on the subject, I am sure with your 25-years of experience you can benefit us all.
I was going to let you carry on about John so you could apologize later. I am posting the constitution inquiry and my name is most certainly not John. There is no place in any of my posts that even remotely insinuates that these guys are not guilty. The purpose is to discuss the takeover of Local 157 by NYC District Council and the violations of the UBC Constitution in doing so. You talk about 157 being alive. How alive is it if your every move and your paychecks are controlled by the NYC District Counsel. How alive is it when you cant even exercise your rights under the UBC Constitution and the EST is able to stick his hands in your piggy bank at his discretion?
ReplyDeleteWhen are we going to have a union meeting so we can find out what the hell is going on? As I see it, since we don't have a e-board, or any other real representation at Local 157, the membership has no idea whats going on at the local or the DC. Because of a few screw ups the whole membership has to suffer. Lawrence do the right thing get us our meeting and explain what the hell is going on, keep the men in the loop.Remember one day we will have a election.
ReplyDeleteTo 25year member--You say Support your officers and your reps that's the only way our great Local will survive and we should say thank you to those who are busting ass to prove themselves with hard work.
ReplyDeleteThat is the same thinking that got us to where we are TODAY!
I am sure you supported Billy, George, Freddy, Danny and Lawrence for years and thanked them for their so-called hard work…and what did you get for it…THEY STOLE, LIED, AND SOLD YOU OUT!!!
So excuse me if I don’t believe a word any of them say! and why attack John he is doing a good job keeping us informed. seems you are the one that has the personal vendetta my brother.
I find it amazing that once these BA's were not there to help any of you anymore how fast you start to bad mouth them. Big deal they left early sometimes or didn't mark down the days they took off. You were still always able to reach them. Their phones were always on. I myself have called them at night or on the weekends. They did not do anything different than any other Locals BA's did except the District Council chose to go after them. Where at the hearing did they say that any of the Locals monies were missing. Nowhere. All monies were accounted for. They didn't sell you out the District Council did. I applaud this person who actually took the time to read and understand the Constitution. Maybe all of us should ban together like the Brothers and Sisters we are and start calling the council to complain instead of bad mouthing the BA's and each other. I'm sure Lawerence is doing the best with the hand that was dealt to him.. Let us not forget 3 men are gone and Demorata is still in the Bronx because they didn't have any reason to get rid of him. He's probably afraid to rock the boat.
ReplyDeleteLocal 157 forever.
You say "Big deal they left early sometimes or didn't mark down the days they took off". In the case of Hanley he worked 30 full days for the YEAR 2007!the ba's were coming and going as they please doing little if any work for years. wake up, what are you talkinh about, they are lucky they werent brought up on crimial chages
ReplyDelete