This week the rank and file will be receiving their mail in ballots from the American Arbitration Association (AAA) and will vote for new leaders of the New York City District Council of Carpenters and finally end the UBC's 833 day supervision.
In the race for Executive Secretary Treasurer, (the top spot that pays $220000 a year) we have the unprecedented choice between two inexperienced rank and filers, Daniel J. Franco and Michael Bilello (see video).
In evaluating both men, it all comes down to the issues of character, integrity and loyalty.
Remember back in March 2011, when newly nominated Local 157 President pro tem Bilello, refused to accept a motion for a copy of the meeting minutes saying, “I am done with this issue, it's been beaten to death.”
Because Bilello disagrees with a motion is not justification for blocking the members from voting on it. In the seconds it took him to make that statement, Bilello defined who he really is.
Then in April, Bilello again gave us a glimpse into his character by not supporting his appointment of Gerry Gausman as Vice President pro tem.
Under the UBC Constitution Gausman was obligated to "fill the office of President," after Review Office Dennis Walsh, vetoed President Lawrence D'Errico's, employment and his services as President on April 12.
But Gausman did not become president and Bilello did not support him. Instead Bilello conspired with Gausman and encouraged him not to preside and open the April meeting, in-order for him to be unconstitutionally nominated and elected President pro tem again.
Upon taking his position on the dais, Bilello departed from appointing a Vice President pro tem as he did in March, and conducted the most bizarre and unconstitutional meeting in the history of the UBC. He strangely called for nominations for both a Vice President pro tem and Recording Secretary pro tem for the "meeting only," thus violating the UBC Constitution.
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| Dan Franco for EST. |
At the end of the day after all the nonsense, members walked away from this bizarre, painfully long, unproductive and unconstitutional meeting learning one thing from Bilello: NO ONE IS IN CHARGE OF THE LOCAL!
In June, Bilello shocked everyone by choosing to run against Gausman, the man he selected as the best qualified person to lead Local 157.
Bilello has repeatedly, falsely stated that he is solely "responsible for the District Council Elections" and ending the UBC supervision and he has secretly sought the involvement of fired and former Local 608 President Joe Firth, to discuss who should be on his slate to run for Local 157 and District Council Office (Walsh has disqualified several candidates due to involvement with Joe Firth and, it was Walsh who called for elections in his first report—prior to Bilello filing his motion).
Bilello has displayed signs of arrogance, dictatorship, disloyalty, untruthfulness, poor judgment and has conducted himself and has acted in ways that should inspire a significant no confidence vote against him in a time when there should be no question about the qualifications of our elected officials.
With that said, and on all the fundamental issues that affect the lives and well-being of our members, the choice in this election is clear, and today local157 blogspot endorses Daniel J. Franco for Executive Secretary Treasurer -- in the hope, if not necessarily the full expectation, that he will be the strong, reform-driven leader our union desperately needs.
Let's be clear: Franco understands the underlying issues as well as the immense challenges he'll be facing. He is the man we need to lead our union, he’s straightforward, likable, an independent comprehensive thinker, diligent, conscientious, decisive, trustworthy, persistent, tireless, incorruptible and clearly he’s a guy who thinks outside the box.
It is time that our union takes the necessary steps and change direction and address the serious problems that affect all working men and women and we believe that Franco is up to the challenge and recognizes the necessity for fundamental change in our union's policies.
This union needs sensible, compassionate, honest, and strong leadership. Dan Franco has all of those qualities and the determination, sound judgment and vision to blaze a path to reform.
Whether he has the staying power -- the sheer will -- necessary to achieve it remains very much to be seen.
And we intend fully to monitor his progress, and to offer advice when appropriate.
In the meanwhile, local 157 blogspot is calling all of my friends to support and vote for Daniel J. Franco for Executive Secretary Treasurer the New York City District Council of Carpenters.
The mail in ballots from AAA will arrive this week, when you receive your ballot, immediately check off Daniel J. Franco for Executive Secretary Treasurer and your choices for President and Vice President, put the ballot into the addressed envelope and send it back in the mail. All ballots must be returned by mail to the AAA by 5:00 p.m. on December 15, 2011.
John Musumeci is an elected delegate to the district council and creator/editor to local157.blogspot.com.
DROP DEAD UNITY TEAM !
ReplyDeleteAn endorsement from this clown is enough to get most to vote against these other clowns.
ReplyDeleteLets see...Who else did he endorse and run with? Thats right Pat Nee(vetoed) John Daly(Vetoed) George LaMontain(Vetoed) Jonny "Cigars" Defalco(Vetoed) Tommy McGonical(Vetoed) Billy Walsh(Vetoed) Kevin Corrigan(Vetoed) Sean Firth(Joe Firths brother) Are you kidding me? Need I Say More? Musumeci and his website have absolutly no credit. PS Greg Kelty candidate for President ran with these guys to so you know where he stands. Now Danny Boy Franco has aliagned himself with Kelty and all of the above vetoed people. I Guess That Why at the Javit Forum Franco Stated He Was "Corruption Resistant" because sometimes you do what you have to do.
ReplyDeleteSetting the record straight...I endorsed Pat Nee and the Workers Right Slate and they won.
ReplyDeleteI endorsed and was a part of the Members Voice Slate and we won 26 out of the 48 delegates position.
I did not endorse John Daly, George LaMontain, John "Cigars" Defalco, Tommy McGonical, Billy Walsh and Kevin Corrigan, they were never nominated and were disqualified to run in the council election.
Instead of attacking me why don't you say something positive about who you are voting for!
Why do my posts vanish John??
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree the "beaten to death actions" of Biello was BS I cant let the rest of this go John.
You rail against Biello over the Pro Tem happenings(dog and pony show) at the 157 meeting but the people directly responsible for the debacle were Franco and Nee. Both ran their mouth extensively on the Pro Tem issue and as it turns out both were full of crap. Neither had a clue what they were talking about but demanded they did in a rather forceful way which resulted in the 157 meetings Pro Tem BS.It was on the advice and misinformation provided by Nee and Franco which are still posted on this site that resulted in the Pro Tem debacle.
You said " Instead Bilello conspired with Gausman and encouraged him not to preside and open the April meeting, in-order for him to be unconstitutionally nominated and elected President pro tem again" Is it not a fact that Dennis Walsh himself warned Gausman he was NOT the President of 157 and he was not to preside overr the meeting. Is it not a fact, according to your own words, that Franco had spent the weekend before the April meeting emailing Walsh back and forth giving him "advice" and his "interpretation" of the Pro Tem procedure which as it turned out was pure BS.Was it not based on this crap spewed by Franco that Walsh who obviously did not have a clue on Pro Tem appointments told Gausman he was not the President of 157 and not to preside.
You said "Upon taking his position on the dais, Bilello departed from appointing a Vice President pro tem as he did in March, and conducted the most bizarre and unconstitutional meeting in the history of the UBC. He strangely called for nominations for both a Vice President pro tem and Recording Secretary pro tem for the "meeting only," thus violating the UBC Constitution:" and this was directly due to misinformation and BS provided by Nee and Franco.Nee was up to his ass in the nominations and bizzaro meeting and he and Franco were joined at the hip in providing false and misleading information on Pro Tem appointments that facilitated that fiasco.Their misinformation and spew had an effect outside 157 as well if you remember right. Which Local tried to have a Pro Tem "meeting only" eboard election.
Lets put the blame where it lies. Your boy Francos ego would not let him admit he was wrong. He put out pure BS spew and then had the audacity to say "thats the answer and that it" Again I must repeat "as it turns out he was indeed full of crap" This is your choice for EST. Your blaming Biello for the actions of your choice for EST Dan Franco and your choice in Pat NEE.Pat Nee who is now what Vetoed??
As much as I think Pat Nee is a spinless little tykes bitch I will not condemn him until we have all the facts as to why he was or could be vetoed. Could it be he was or could be vetoed because he did not consult King Walsh.Should he be telling King Walsh to kiss his ass if he is vetoed for trying to run a local he was duly elected to run.(Good or bad 357 morons voted for him). Is it a case of King Walsh trying to stick his nose to far in a locals business and perhaps Nee should bite it off?? Or is it true he violated some law and is in trouble legitimately for trying to screw the 157 members in which case remember you choice for EST Dan Franco and Pat Nee were and are joined at the hip.
Let me ask you one more question. Sometime between now the election will you be posting on this Blog that Biello or another candidate you dont support are under investigation for something or another so they are discredited and lose votes before the election.Just curious
Pat Nee March 22 :Well I was not expecting that, a vote was called to make someone pro tem president for the meeting. Biello was chosen and picked Gausman as Vice-President. Lawrence Derrico is still president, this was just for the meeting.
ReplyDeleteApparently we do the same thing again next month if Derrico is a no show again.
Richard Dorrough March 22:No you dont. Despite any nonsense Caropuso said Bilello and Gausman are in office until an election is held to fill the vacancy's. Once voted in pro tem and then VP chosen pro tem they have the same rights and protections under the LMRDA and UBC Constitution as a regularly elected officer as of last night. They are not chosen just for the meeting
Pat Nee March 22:You guys really have to listen to what was said. The pro tem appointment was for the meeting only. Biello is going to be allowed to sit in on the Eboard meeting as a gesture of goodwill. He is not the pro tem president, Derrico is still President. It was explained before the vote.
Dan Franco March 22:
"Will there be another election for Pro Tem at the next meeting??" If D'Errico does not return, which I am sure he will not, then yes, another pro tem president/chairman election must occur.
Pat Nee March 24:A pro tem President and vice president were selected to facilitate the meeting.
You do not know what is going on Richard, a conversation with you is pointless.
Derrico is still President.
You are an idiot, those are all facts. Why do you not ask your buddy Arana? he will tell you.
Dan Franco March 24:Pro tem only lasts for one session. A session may consist of one or more meetings. However, our sessions are completed in one meeting.
Dan Franco March 26 :
My questions to you actually have nothing to do with Pat Nee or anyone else. It has everything to do with erroneous information and logic.
Rich, before I "spell it out", I just need to verify, your response to my 'Pro Tem President/Chairman' post was not a joke and you're not arguing for the sake of arguing, correct? Also, do you have a copy of RONR (10th ed.)?
And here John you choice for EST calls you a lair when the response from Ballatyne proves he is full of crap:IF INDEED YOU DID GET ONE
Dan Franco March 26:
John, is the following an actual response from Ballantyne? "Gausman serves as President until such time as a President is elected," Which to my understanding our next election is scheduled for July, which we can verify with your Recording Secretary." If not, what is his actual response, if indeed you did get one?
John M March 27:Dan: see my latest post for the answer to your question.
Rich, how is it that you have so much time to still be involved in our UBC affairs? Are you not doing anything with your new union? Do you just sit around waiting for opportunities to be asinine?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I will attempt to explain it as simply as I can: At the March 2011 LU157 meeting Vice President position was vacated because Pugliese had 'retired'. President D'Errico was absent. D'Errico was still LU157 president until he was vetoed on April 12. Therefore, logically the President Pro Tem election of Bilello at the March meeting could not have been for any duration longer than the meeting because D'Errico was still LU157 President until April 12.
Asinine this Franco...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I will attempt to explain it as simply as I can:
This is the same BS you spewed at the time you were enlightening everybody on your knowledge of Pro tem and the UBC Constitution. It was BS then and it is BS now so dont try to explain anything.The sad part is it was proven to be BS since then and you were full of shit yet here we are today and your still presenting your crap and misinforamtion as fact.
The fact is you ran you mouth when you did not have a clue what you were talking about and YOUR actions with Nee caused the Pro Tem debacle. Yet John wants to blame Biello when it was YOU.This is the experience and attitude that NYC needs as EST. Your not in contention because you are the best man for the job. Your in contention because you spend you time sucking off Walsh who it seems is now the new McCarron in NYC and will decide who is to run in the elections.I heard you had to write a 500 word essay on to suck off Walsh for office. I hope it was better than that last 500 word joke you wrote.
Dont ever have the audacity to try to explain anything to me.Your not in my league and it is an insult to those of use with knowledge to be lectured by a self proclaimed clown without. You tried this when the Pro Tem debacle was going on and you were full of shit then as you are now.You still have no grasp of the Pro Tem issue and you want to be EST. What a joke.Ill make it "simple" for you little man.You pretend to be qualified for the job of EST but you not. There is nothing worse than someone whose ego wont allow them to admit when they are wrong and they will sacrifice the good of the membership rather that face the fact that they were and are full of shit. Just as you did with the Pro Tem 157 dog and pony show. I cant wait to see what else you will be advising Walsh on to help out the rank and file of NYC.
I heard you had to write a 500 word essay on,how I/will I/could I,should I and what the heck I enjoy it anyways,suck off Walsh for office.
ReplyDeleteDAN FRANCO – EST CANDIDATE, OPENING REMARKS
ReplyDelete37:14 Good evening fellow members I’d like to thank the R.O. for having us, and uhh…for you the members for coming and taking the time out and having an interest in your Union. I appreciate that, I’m sure we all do.
37:37 The EST has extensive powers and authority but now it is better balanced by the By-Laws, the HR Director and the Local Union Delegates, amongst others as well.
37:53 The new Council By-Laws are going to go into effect January 11th when the new Council Officers are sworn in (very nervous here, shaky voice)
38:02 (long pause, very sheepish)…..I was born in the Bronx, the Bronx has been home for most of my life and currently still is. Uhm, married to my wonderful wife Jen, I have 3-boys, 10, 9 & 2 - Nick, Matt & Derrick.
38:20 I joined uhh, Local 157…257, now 157 in at the age of 19 in 1989….pause…I joined as a first year Apprentice and subsequently did my Apprenticeship, my four year apprenticeship. I’m a Certified Shop Steward; I’m a member of the Job Steward Alliance, the JSA of which I was elected to JSA as “Assistant Meeting Coordinator”.
38:45 I have corresponded by e-mail, print, phone, mail and letter in person and many times with numerous members, the RO himself, his staff, The U.S. Attorneys, the U.S. Department of Labor, Spencer, Ballantyne, Walter Mack and Matt Walker and to a lesser extent McCarron, Mooney and Callahan as well as other Union and government personnel.
39:06 I have a repor with the R.O. and his staff and I am a member of the ROMAC Committee, the Review Officer Meeting & Advisory Committee (sheepish to Walsh for his approval here).
39:13 I have a repor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office as well, Benjamin Torrance, uhh…make many requests for information from him as well and I pressed him for almost a year to get the Callahan Reports released and they were released, I believe October 14th. (it took a year for this)
39:37 Uhm. I operate several websites for the purposes of disseminating information on our Union to inform the members, to empower the members as well…Uhm, I work tuh get Empire In Wood, a book by Robert Christie, a book printed in 1956 to get it re-published as a piece of literature to show us about our history as a Union.
39:55 It goes from before the inception of our Union to about 1947. It’s an important book; I suggest you get it (nervous laughter).
40:06 Uhm, my candidacy for EST is supported by many members some of them are well known…Gene Clarke is one of them, Louis Amicus, now a delegate of 926 and Greg Kelty (finger point toward Kelty) which I support him for Council President.
40:22 When I joined in 1989 the only literature I was given was the Oath Card to sign, the Assessment Card to sign and a form for my Name and Address. I was never given a UBC Constitution, Local by-laws, Council by-laws or any other document.
ReplyDelete40:38 It wasn’t until late 2001…. I began to do research on our Union Labor History and Politics (really, 12-whole years??) This is about the time I first discovered our UBC Constitution, the 2000 Edition. I began to learn a lot of things that weren’t known and still aren’t known by most members (hardly plausible or credible).
40:57 It was around 2002-2004 (hand gesture, puzzled look) when I learned of the 1990 United States and District Council and all (it is et, al) uhh lawsuit which continues today. It’s almost 22-years later ( No, September 6, 1990 was the 22nd Anniversary of the Government Filing Suit) from its inception and it still goes on.
41:12 While it got us the Consent Decree, the 1994 Consent Decree, the Consent Decree is a two-edged sword.
41:22 It puts additional rules and restrictions and costs upon us, but it’s the reason why we have Elections for our top 3-Officers
41:31 Without the Consent Decree, none of us (points to dais) would be here right now. Through my research I learned about additional criminal activity and the many problems that we faced, uhh…through other lawsuits, newspaper articles and other members websites. Having the information from the Court Documents, the news articles and the websites, I knew that issues had to be addressed, how to address them and to whom.
41:57 I began asking questions and disseminating information to the members and in around 2008 sensing that no one was going to run against the Unity Team (smirk) I attempted to run against Forde when no one else seemed that they would and it turned out that no one else did run against Forde.
42:13 However I would not have run for EST if I didn’t ____________ that I could run the DC better than Forde and the other Candidate now>
42:23 I would not allow, I will not recklessly risk the livelihoods or retirements of over 22,000 Carpenters and employees just for the sake of choice.
42:36 Uhm…(awkward pause)…people ask what makes me qualified for EST and why you should Vote for me. Some of the reasons are, I’m an independent thinker (MIA for 12-15years…Constitution, By-Laws & realization a Consent Decree was in place) , I’m an Independent Comprehensive Thinker (Ok Plato) …I often think many steps ahead before others have even thought of the first step (page turning….)
42:59 I’m very communicative, I’m conscientious, I’m Corruption Resistant, decisive, diligent, honorable, trustworthy, idealistic, pragmatic, Independent but Cooperative, persistent and tireless. I’m a Unionist, I completely believe in agitate, educate and organize and as I would say, inform, empower so that we can act.
43:27 I seek to implement systems that Detect, Notify, Prevent and Remedy (Walsh has been there, done that for the most part) Incompetence and Corruption. I will not seek change, I will not just seek change just to seek change, but I will seek correction to remedy root causes rather than merely treat the symptoms. I’m outspoken against tyranny which includes in my opinion McCarron.
43:49 I’m pro Democracy. I seek to have the membership directly Vote on all the Council Officers and I would also like to have the membership at large Vote for International Officers.
ReplyDelete44: 04 I’d like tuh…awkward pause….I will continue working towards the eradication of corruption within our Union at all levels Council, Local and International. I seek membership Ratification of the Collective Bargaining Agreements and the agreement which we as members have to work under. I think we should have say on whether we should abide by it or not.
44:26 And as Greg said before he’s correct about the new By-Laws say the Delegates have to Vote on our Contracts but I will work towards having the membership Vote on any Contact under which they have to work that comes around every 4 to 5 years.
44:40 I will seek to reform the Out of Work List. First thing I would like to have that New York City carpenters, our carpenters come off our list first, (ear to ear grin) then everybody else.
44:53 I seek to Implement Skills Assessment (Skills from of McCarron, Illegal Individual Contract) System for newly Organized Members and for members that are supposedly sent off jobs, sent back from the job because of supposed incompetence (his buddy, the pot head Makowski).
45:08 We need to verify whether they know what they are doing or not and not allow the Contractors to keep firing or laying off guys because they think the guys can’t do the job or don’t like em, or somehow he’s a troublemaker (Makoswski, stoned, forgot tool box, re: Ballantyne Meeting April 13th Rally, Franco went to 3-hr. mtg. with him, 3-other NYC Carpenters on the same job testified against Makowski & backed the Contractor). Uhh….simultaneous, I will work towards the betterment of all members and individual members at the same time I oppose cronyism.
45:32 What I am for is sponsoring Family Members and Friends to come into our Union…..16 seconds page turning…….
45:48 Well in closing, it is my solemn promise that I will competently and honestly perform the duties as EST, tuh uphold the principles of Unionized Labor, to continue to work for what is right and to correct what is wrong and to stand against tyranny and corruption. (Swearing himself in here).
46:00 It is my experience that, it is my understanding that an injury to one is an injury to all and that labor conquers all and that if we can work together, we can obchieve ( he said this, it is “achieve”) our objectives whatever they may be. Thank you very much for your time.
46:22 End