Holiday Wishes

As we celebrate the holiday season and approach a new year, I want to take a moment to thank you all for the hard work and dedication you have given to the District Council and its membership throughout 2012. This year has presented us with a great number of challenges, but in every challenge therein lies invaluable opportunity.

In 2012, we have seen the end of the supervision by the International, the holding of fair and open elections, and constant effort to promote a fair and just Union for all of our members. New policies have been created and successfully implemented to benefit members on the OWL, additional business reps have been hired in order to increase service to the membership. A number of contract negotiations have been completed while some will be ongoing into the new year, as we continue to strive to obtain the best wages, benefits, and working conditions for our members that can be achieved through the collective bargaining process. We have also begun an Organizing campaign that combines our efforts with 3213] and other participating NYC unions across several industries in a joint effort to unionize jobs all across New York City. This unique initiative is called the “Build up NYC” campaign. The Carpenter Newsletter was brought back into production this year, and the website has been dramatically revamped and upgraded. Additionally, great measures have been taken to significantly cut back costs and expenses of the District Council, especially costs related to the Charge and Trial process.

We have met challenges head on, and have seized the opportunity to strengthen our Union and to better represent our membership. Next year, there will be new obstacles, new goals, and of course opportunities, I am confident that we will meet these with the same determination. I welcome and encourage you to share any suggestions or concerns you may have along the way.

Again, thank you for your dedication and tireless efforts this past year. I wish you all a happy, healthy and safe holiday season.

Sincerely,
Michael R. Bilello