News From Review Officer Dennis Walsh, Recommended Changes at the District Council

I am pleased that the United Brotherhood has agreed to implement the following recommendations I have made regarding District Council Operations:

Compliance and Investigations Group
The District Council "Anti-Corruption Committee" should be disbanded. A District Council "Compliance and Investigations Group" should be formed ("CIG"). The CIG should be composed of high level UBC Supervision and District Council managers and additional District Council employees from various functions, including the business agent group, the IT group, the accounting and audit group and a limited number of new hires (or transfers of current employees) to perform duties related to (a) Compliance and Ethics and (b) investigations.

The CIG would seek to accomplish the following objectives:
(1) Develop and implement a cost-effective compliance and ethics program for the District Council and constituent local unions as contemplated by Chapter 8 of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines;
(2) Perform investigations of all matters referred or declined by the Review Officer and all matters requiring investigation by the District Council under any other circumstances;
(3) Assist auditors in developing and implementing effective financial policies and controls (for locals as well) incorporating industry best practices and suitable modern systems and procedures;
(4) Develop a mission statement for an Inspector General's office, write procedures and investigation guidelines for said office, and acquire ex-law enforcement employees and train Union employees to staff said office;
(5) Conceive, write and promulgate (with counsel) a compliance and ethics handbook for all employees of the District Council and local unions;
(6) Interact with and obtain specific advice and/or services from outside counsel, accountants and any other professionals on as-needed basis;
(7) Assist in developing and presenting training seminars on compliance and ethics-related subject matter for DC and local union employees;
(8) Form an advocate’s office to process and prosecute internal Union disciplinary charges;
(9) Interact and cooperate with the RO's office;
(10) Participate in the interview and consideration process for all candidates for DC and local union employment;
(11) Report periodically to the RO on the status of its undertakings.

New Positions
(1) Hire (from inside or outside) a management level assistant director of the OWL (with excellent communication, writing and computer skills).
(2) Hire (from inside or outside) a management level daily operations assistant for the administration of the CIG with (with excellent communication, writing and computer skills).

Technology Committee
A technology committee (consisting of senior management from multiple functions including UBC team, OWL, BAs, IT, accounting, representative local unions) should be formed to study best practices, business requirements and available upgrades to District Council and local union computer and communication systems, including desk top or notebook computers for employees, networks, email for employees, mobile internet, Blackberry and equivalent devices, downloadable swipe card systems for logging time at job sites and other technology matters which may arise.

Improve Human Resources Position or Function

The HR position or function should be improved to (i) insure that all DC and local employees are hired through uniform, best practices (including development, where necessary, of application forms, job descriptions and grades with associated salary ranges); (ii) insure that proper records are kept, (iii) process and report to management complaints, discrimination and harassment claims through uniform procedures, (iv) insure regular and objective employee performance and productivity evaluations, (v) maintain associated files in a secure environment, (vi) interact with other functions including Legal and CIG and (vii) handle other HR functions in a uniform, documented manner that adheres to best industry practice.

From The Carpenter Fall 2010.