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.

The District Council of Carpenters has been under emergency supervision by the UBC since former boss Michael Forde, was jailed following a 2009 racketeering scandal. New leadership was elected late last year, running on a platform of "members rights, democracy and full transparency of Council’s actions."

"I have only one goal here, get this District Council working for its membership," said Executive Secretary-Treasurer Mike Bilello, at a swearing in ceremony on January 11, ending the 2 1/2 year long supervision.

The District Council has been plagued with a two-decade long history of corruption and being undemocratic. On June 3, 2010, a federal judge signed a Stipulation and Order appointing Review Officer (RO), Dennis Walsh, to oversee the operations of the union and its benefit funds giving him broad power to rid the union of corruption and restore democracy.

The new Bylaws hammered out between the RO and UBC are the result of "extensive negotiations" and include "numerous exceptions" to the UBC Constitution, including among other things, the direct election of the EST, President and Vice President by the rank and file, the establishing of a unique Trial Committee and procedures, and the establishing of numerous functions such as, an HR function, as well as an Inspector General and a Chief Compliance Officer and a provision for a members gallery.

Section 22 of the Bylaws states that “upon a majority vote, the Delegate Body may invite members to attend and observe said meetings as space allows and upon such conditions as may be deemed necessary to insure the integrity of the proceedings.”

In response to an email requesting comment on Section 22 and the motion to bar members, the RO said, "the standing presumption is that no members may attend a meeting of the delegates, but that in any meeting, a delegate may make a motion to allow members to attend, subject to any necessary condition, which may be approved by majority vote."

"I view Section 22 as giving a delegate an absolute right to make such a motion at each and every meeting of the Delegate Body."

"Pursuant to Paragraph 5.b.i.4, I am reviewing the policy passed by the delegates to bar members from attending delegate body meetings to determine if it functions as a de facto alteration of the Bylaws, which would be subject to veto" the RO said.

Below is a list of delegates obtain by 157 blogspot who voted against the motion to bar members from attending delegate body meetings. If anyone knows of additional delegates that voted against the motion please contact me and I will update the list.

A Few Good Men standing for democracy and transparency

Local 157: Pete Corrigan, Kevin Corrigan, Tom McGonnigle, Sam Noone, Bill Walsh, John Daly--Local 926: Robert Alverez, Joseph Sabatino, Luis Simancas, Nicholas Tavernite--Local 1556: Craig Johnson, Charles Lucas Jr.

(John's note: Unfortunately Greg Kelty and I were not able to attend the meeting, had we been there we would have voted against the motion.)