Sunday, May 6, 2012

Permits Climb As Developers Up Their Bets

By LAURA KUSISTO

Manhattan is starting to shake off its construction doldrums and could see the first flurry of building activity since the recession, according to the city's Department of Buildings.

Manhattan experienced a 169% spike in new building permits issued so far this year, according to the buildings department, which issued 35 permits for construction including hotels, apartment buildings, an "affordable housing" development and an art gallery in the first four months of 2012. That is up from 13 in the same period last year.

"We are bullish that big building is coming back to New York City," the buildings commissioner, Robert LiMandri, said in an interview.

Manhattan new-building permits issued so far this year are still below 2008 levels, when 42 permits were issued in the first four months of the year.

But the latest spike in permits reflects developers' growing confidence in certain sectors, especially demand for rental housing and hotels, even while demand for office space lags.

Some developers receiving permits this year have been able to get loans already and, in some cases, have already broken ground. They include the Brodsky Organization on a new condo on 79th Street and Barone Management on two Gene Kaufman-designed hotels in Hudson Square.

"It certainly seems like there's more cranes in the air today. I actually know the answer and there are," Mr. LiMandri said.

Much of the latest activity is concentrated in the Hudson Yards area and Harlem—two areas that were poised for change during the previous boom but were also hit hard when the economy collapsed in 2008.

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Audio files of the May 03, 2012 RO - EST Town Hall Meeting

By Joseph

RO - EST Town Hall Meeting of May 3rd 2012 Audio files

  • The nominated candidates for the trustee position of the NYCDCC speaking. 
  • Discussion about a NEW Out of Work List. 
  • Welfare Benfit Issues Question an Answers 
  • An EXCELLENT Expanation about 8f and 9A Aggrement By OUR NYCDCC Labor Attorney
(tip: click play then pause and wait for download to load)

 Part 1



iPhone user click here for download.

Part 2



iPhone user click here for download.

Friday, May 4, 2012

10 years, 232 days, 3 hours and 44 minutes later, World Trade Center tower is back on top in NYC

By Steve Strunsky

NEW YORK — It was a memorable day for everyone at One World Trade Center, including Ed Peterson, a union carpenter who has worked there for three years.

A friend of his was among 37 Port Authority Police officers killed on 9/11, so working on the tower has been much more than just a job for Peterson, of Oceanside, N.Y.

At 2:12 p.m., Monday became a monumental day for him and his coworkers at the building formerly known as Freedom Tower.

At that moment, a crane lowered a 26-foot interior steel column into the hands of ironworkers on the 100th floor.

That brought the tower’s height to 1,271 feet, and raised it above the Empire State Building as New York City’s tallest skyscraper.

Sept 11.JPG
Later, on the ground, Peterson couldn’t contain his emotions as he talked about how the tower’s progress has helped him deal with the loss of his friend. Turning toward the sparkling glass building, he said, "How can’t you be proud of that."

Like the tower itself, pride soared to new heights. The technologically and emotionally complex structure’s crowning as New York’s tallest was hailed as a triumph of American ingenuity and commitment over the terrorists who destroyed the original Twin Towers more than 10 years ago.

At 1,368 feet, those towers had reigned as the city’s tallest buildings from 1972 until their destruction restored the title to the Empire State Building. That symbol of New York City was built in 1930-31 to a height of 1,250 feet, not including a 204-foot antenna.

"What you see here today is a tremendous determination to rebuild, even higher, what we lost," said Bill Baroni, deputy executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the tower’s developer. He addressed reporters gathered on the tower’s 71st floor to watch video monitors showing the column’s lowering.

Baroni noted Monday also marked the 91st anniversary of the Port Authority’s creation, and was the first anniversary of the killing of Osama bin Laden.

When completed in late 2013 or early 2014, WTC 1 will top out at 104 floors, while standing 1,776 feet high, including a 408-foot antenna. This will make it the tallest building in the western hemisphere.

The tallest manmade structure in the Western Hemisphere will continue to be the 2,063-foot-tall KVLY-TV antenna in Blanchard, N.D. And the world’s tallest building is the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai, which opened in 2010 and reaches 2,717 feet.

Port Authority Executive Director Pat Foye said the three-million-square-foot, $3.8 billion tower would be among the safest buildings in the world. Its intended uses are highlighted by office space, a state-of-the-art broadcast facility, and public observation deck.

Jody Durst, president of the Durst Organization, which manages the property, said Monday’s milepost would enhance its already considerable appeal to tenants and tourists. Durst said he was confident the building, now 55 percent leased, would be fully occupied upon completion.

"When we start bringing prospective tenants up and they get a look at these views," he said, the building will lease itself.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Sunday, April 29, 2012

MEMORANDUM: Job Steward Alliance

Recent events in the New York City District Council contract negotiations have many members concerned about the future of their union and the negotiations that will affect their families.

Over the last few years our members have been watching drastic changes to benefits, working conditions and the diminishing quality of life of the New York City Carpenter.

With the economy taking the worst hit in our lifetimes, many corrupt unscrupulous developers have seen this a time to hit unions hard while we are down on one knee. Carpenters under a trusteeship from some who see New York as a cash cow, contractors see no one tending the store and a Federal Consent decree placing guard rails has set the environment over the last few years.

For the first time in the Carpenters union history, the current Delegate body unanimously voted the right to the base membership to ratify their contract. This extraordinary opportunity to have a voice in contract negotiations had lackluster results and took many by surprise. All members intrinsically feel they want to be part of this process and trust the Delegate body once again bestows this essential task to them. With proper notification and education scenarios, we feel the participation will be greater.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Crane firm cleared in fatal collapse case

James Lomma and two of his companies were acquitted of manslaughter and other charges. One of their construction cranes broke and killed two people in 2008.

By Amanda Fung

The owner of a construction crane company was cleared of all charges related to a 2008 fatal crane collapse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Daniel Conviser acquitted James Lomma and his two firms, New York Crane and Equipment Corp. and JF Lomma Inc., of manslaughter and other charges Thursday. The crane collapse at East 91st Street and First Avenue led to the death of two construction workers on the site.

Prosecutors had argued that the crane fell because Mr. Lomma hired a cheap and unknown Chinese company to repair the crane at the site. Mr. Lomma's attorneys said Mr. Lomma and his firm responsibly repaired the crane and therefore did not cause what they called the tragic accident. If Mr. Lomma had been found guilty in the non-jury trial, he would've faced five to 15 years in prison.

“Any time there is a crane accident and people are killed, it is a tragedy, but the district attorney spent 10 weeks trying to say that Jimmy Lomma was criminally responsible for what happened, and the proof showed that to be wrong,” said Paul Shechtman, a partner at Zuckerman Spaeder who represented Mr. Lomma and his companies in the case. “I am very happy that Mr. Lomma has been vindicated.”

Prosecutors said that Mr. Lomma did not follow city inspectors' requirements for the repairs.

“Although we are disappointed with the judge's verdict, each case we have brought in this area has put increased scrutiny on the construction industry as a whole, and has had a cascading effect on safety practices,” said Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., in a statement. “Construction companies must do everything in their power to protect the safety of workers and the thousands of New Yorkers who live near or walk by a construction site every day.”

This fatal crane accident was the second to occur in 2008. In the first case, prosecutors charged a crane rigger with manslaughter. In that case, the rigger was also acquitted two years ago. With the latest decision, observers note that a guilty verdict in these cases would have been difficult.

“It should be hard to indict criminal negligence,” said Mr. Shechtman. “It is meant to be a high standard and carries jail sentences, something would be wrong if it was an easy charge to prove.”

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Contract Update: Should I Sign Council Authorization Cards?

In a letter (below) to the membership dated April 19, EST Bilello would like members to sign an authorization card that will authorize the District Council to represent members, for the purpose to "strengthen the negotiating position of the officers and Executive Committee that are currently engaged in negotiations with contractors associations" for wages, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment.

Since I have received numerous questions from the membership about signing these cards, I sent the following questions to the District Council for an answer.

1. The contract that was voted on by the membership was it an 8(f) or a 9(a) contract?

2. If 9(a), why was the contract presented to the membership without the membership signing authorization cards?

3. A 9(a) contract appears to be more restrictive on the contractor, was full mobility negotiated in exchange to sign a 9(a) contract?

4. The UBC has negotiated a 90-day wage freeze, a $2.13 wage give back and full mobility, all in opposition of the will of the membership. Given this track record members may be reluctant to sign an authorization cards. What assurances can you give the membership that the Council will bargain in good faith, in the best interest of the membership?

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

America’s most powerful Mafia family active in unions: indictment

Feds say Salvester Zarzana, former head of Carptenters Local 926, is a Genovese family soldier, court papers show 


Salvester Zarzana, a former president of Carpenters Local 926, was identified by the feds as a soldier in the Genovese family in an indictment unsealed by Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch.

By John Marzulli AND Greg B. Smith

The FBI busted 11 reputed gangsters and union bosses Wednesday, charging that the most powerful mafia family in America continues to infiltrate unions around the city.

Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch unsealed an indictment naming 11 individuals in a variety of schemes tied to the Genovese crime family.

One of those arrested was Salvester Zarzana, a former president of Carpenters Local 926 who was identified by the feds as a soldier in the Genovese family.

Zarzana has been connected to a group of disgraced union officials who are organizing an off-shoot union that authorities believe is moving to take over the biggest construction union in the city, the District Council of Carpenters.

The Daily News revealed Sunday the ongoing investigation of the upstart Amalgamated Carpenters & Joiners’ effort.

Zarzana is “closely associated” with Angelo Bisceglie, an attorney who’s heavily involved in the upstart Amalgamated union. The purported takeover is under investigation by a court-appointed review officer, Dennis Walsh.

Zarzana was kicked out as president of the Carpenters Local 926 over questions about his abuse of union credit card. He denied knowing anything about the Genovese crime family or the mafia in general in a sworn affidavit made last year.

One of those arrested Wednesday was Conrad Ianniello, identified as a capo or captain in the Genovese family. He’s accused of using his mob connections to shake down contractors and even demand payments from vendors at the San Gennaro street fair.

Town Hall Meeting May 3rd

There will be a Town Hall Meeting with Review Officer Dennis Walsh and EST Mike Bilello on Thursday, May 3rd at 4:30 pm. The meeting will take place in the Labor Technical College, 2nd Floor Common Room. Nominated candidates for the District Council Trustee position will be invited to speak during this meeting.

The following members have been nominated for the position of District Council Trustee:

  • Dennis Gimblet – L.U. 157
  • Glenn Hatcher – L.U. 157
  • Edward Herrero – L.U. 157
  • Mark McGuire – L.U. 157
  • John Moloney – L.U. 157

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Union trying to lure away members of New York's District Council of Carpenters

But many leaders of the breakaway Amalgamated Carpenters & Joiners were themselves kicked out of the District Council and its locals

By Greg B. Smith 

Clockwise from top right: Joseph Firth, Charles Harkin, John Harkin and  John Holt.

The breakaway Amalgamated Carpenters & Joiners union is trying to lure away members of the city’s biggest construction union, the District Council of Carpenters, but many of Amalgamated’s leaders were themselves kicked out of the District Council and its locals, charged with spending union funds on personal perks, records show.

The District Council — which has a long, sordid history of mob control and corruption — is now operating under a court order in which the union is monitored by review officer Dennis Walsh, who is investigating whether Amalgamated is simply a ruse to escape court oversight.

An attorney for Amalgamated, Angelo Bisceglie, called Walsh’s fears “total nonsense” and defended the upstart union. “There's a long history of corruption in that union. We're trying to get away from that,” he said. “Dennis Walsh can make all the allegations he wants, but we’re going to play by the letter of the law.”

Records show several of Amalgamated’s leaders had been drummed out of the District Council. Here’s the lineup:

Joseph Firth, Amalgamated’s president, was fired as president of carpenter’s Local 608 in 2010 amid charges that he’d rigged hiring lists to get cronies jobs at Ground Zero. He’s banned from holding office with the District Council or the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, for 10 years — a ban that wouldn’t apply to Amalgamated. Firth said his firing was “political,” adding, “I didn't do anything criminal or wrong or anything.”

Charles Harkin resigned as president of Local 1456 while under investigation for racking up unapproved expenses and ringing up $1,500 to $3,000 monthly dinners at Marinella in Manhattan. His case is before the union’s trial committee. The union’s lawyer said Harkin wasn’t involved in Amalgamated, but sources said he made calls behind the scenes on behalf of the group.

John Harkin showed up at a job site recently with Eric Gundersen to leaflet District Council workers. Harkin retired from the District Council a year ago, but is facing a union trial for spending union funds on lavish meals, limo services, trips to Florida and $20,000 in golf green fees. He, too, called the chargeds “political” and said he was following rules about expenses that the union used for years.

John Holt is listed in records as secretary of Amalgamated. His appointment as business agent for District Council was vetoed in September 2010 after Walsh found Holt had obstructed his investigation and gave false answers to questions.

The union’s lawyer, Bisceglie, noted, “We have probably 30 to 50 other people in good standing who've been very active in getting out the vote. You can't just focus on a few.”

Monday, April 16, 2012

Union president pays visits to jailed Genovese crime family associate

Joseph Firth of Amalgamated Carpenters and Joiners visited 'friend' Joe Olivieri at N.J. federal prison 

By Greg B. Smith / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

A breakaway union that dubs itself the “clean” alternative to the corruption-plagued District Council of Carpenters apparently didn’t get the memo about avoiding ties to the mob.

Joseph Firth, who’s listed as president of the upstart Amalgamated Carpenters and Joiners, confirmed to the Daily News he recently visited a federal prison in New Jersey to chat with Joe Olivieri, a Genovese crime family associate.

Olivieri, tagged by the feds as an underworld liaison to two of the city’s most powerful construction unions, is serving 18 months for perjury after his conviction in 2010. A jury found he lied about his Mafia connections.

Firth called Olivieri a “friend” on a form submitted in February to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, allowing officials to put the union president on a list of approved visitors. Reached by The News Friday, Firth admitted that he had recently visited Olivieri at the prison, but he wouldn’t say precisely when or how many times.

“I always thought he was a fair man,” Firth said, insisting that anything he knows about Olivieri’s mob ties “he read in the papers.”

“It’s a problem if it’s the truth, but I heard it was just hearsay,” he said.

Firth and several other former members of the District Council of Carpenters broke away to form the Amalgamated union, claiming they want to offer a blemish-free option to its 20,000 members.

The District Council is currently being monitored by a court-appointed review officer, whose mission is to clean up the historically dirty union.

The last District Council president, Michael Forde, is now serving 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to a stunning list of corruption charges; he met frequently with Olivieri.

Despite Amalgamated’s claims, The News reported Sunday that several organizers of the splinter group were actually kicked out of the District Council and its locals for using union funds for personal perks.

And one Amalgamated member, Eric Gundersen, who has been acting as the outfit’s spokesman, has a criminal past, including time served for severely beating an off-duty transit officer.

Further, the court-appointed review officer keeping tabs on the District Council is investigating whether Amalgamated appears to be a ruse to escape federal oversight.

Firth admits he’s known Olivieri for “seven to eight years” through the union, and said he met with the convicted felon in prison to discuss “a couple of companies I might want to go speak with, to see if they’re on the up and up.”

He said he was searching for new contracts.

“I know he has a lot of information,” Firth added of Olivieri.

During Olivieri’s 2010 trial, an official from another union, Operating Engineers Local 14, recalled how he once balked at a request to promote a low-level union official favored by the mob.

In response, he said Olivieri told him: “If you don’t, you’re going to be in a world of hurt.” Firth contended he never had any Godfather-like moments with his pal.

“When I dealt with him, there was never any strong-arming or cheating that I saw,” he said. “I mean that and I would say that in court.”

Union rebel's violent life

In 1994 he was part of a teenaged gang that nearly beat to death an off-duty NYPD sergeant named Louis Cosentino who’d dared to tell them to shut up as they partied loudly in the pre-dawn hours


 Eric Gundersen (left) has a history of violence.
Eric Gundersen (left) has a history of violence.


BY GREG B. SMITH / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS


ERIC GUNDERSEN is the earnest face of a new union that’s trying to usurp the biggest construction union in the city — the 25,000-member District Council of Carpenters.

Eric Gundersen in his youth.
Representing the upstart Amalgamated Carpenters and Joiners, Gundersen gives quotes to the press and provides sworn testimony to the National Labor Relations Board.

What he doesn’t reveal is his remarkably violent past.

In 1994 he was part of a teenaged gang that nearly beat to death an off-duty NYPD sergeant named Louis Cosentino who’d dared to tell them to shut up as they partied loudly in the pre-dawn hours. Gundersen and seven fellow thugs kicked out all of Cosentino’s teeth and broke nearly every bone in his face. The News’ front page blared, “Punks beat cop so badly YOU CAN’T TELL IT’S HIM.”

“I don’t think a guy like that should represent a union,” an appalled Cosentino, who still lives in Brooklyn, told the News last week. “Your image should be above board and your word should be good. You shouldn’t be an antagonistic person.”

A News investigation has found the thuggishness Gundersen displayed in the attack on Cosentino remained a constant during the years he’s served as a union member.

Friday, April 13, 2012

Seeking Council Representatives

The New York City and Vicinity District Council of Carpenters is searching for active members of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters who are interested in the position of COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE within the New York City and Vicinity District Council of Carpenters. We are seeking aggressive, dedicated Union members that are committed to building the ranks of our membership and protecting our work throughout our geographical jurisdiction.

Last Day for Voting in the 2012 JDR Industry Blogger Awards!

We are heading toward the finish line! Voting closes today, Friday, April 13th at 9pm PST, so you have one days left for voting in the 2012 JDR Industry Blogger Awards.

This is your last opportunity to bring local157.blogspot more recognition and put us into first place!

As of today, Building Blox currently has the lead (42% to 34%) in the Construction Business category with us coming in second.

PLEASE, WE NEED YOUR HELP NOW!

If you haven't voted yet, and want this blog to continue, I need you to click the link and VOTE NOW and help put us into first place as the Best Construction Business Blogger!

Winners will be announced on April 18, 2012.  Please help and vote for us TODAY!

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Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Labor leaders to visit Bloomies

The show of strength comes as the retailer negotiates a new union contract with employees. 

By Adrianne Pasquarelli

Look out, shoppers. Bloomingdale's might be a little more crowded than usual on Wednesday. As the retailer negotiates a new union contract, five city and state labor leaders will conduct a walk-through at Bloomingdale's East 59th Street flagship on Wednesday afternoon.

 Those involved include Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail Wholesale and Department Store Union; Richard Whalen, regional director and vice president of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union; and Local 3 President Cassandra Berrocal. They'll visit the store, take pictures and speak with employees about current working conditions.

“New York's labor leaders are coming together to show that a fair contract for Bloomingdale's isn't just a priority for RWDSU Local 3 members and the UFCW, but also for organized labor throughout the entire city and state,” said Mr. Applebaum, in a statement.

The 2,000 workers, who are already union members employed at the 59th Street store of Macy's Inc.-owned Bloomingdales, are negotiating for a new contract, according to a union spokeswoman.

A Macy's spokesman did not immediately return calls requesting comment.

The union's proposed four-year contract includes a general wage increase, profit sharing, negotiable commission rates, an increase in hiring rates and an increase in night premium pay. It also asks for improved benefits and an extension of the store workers' security plan. Bloomingdale's is proposing a seven-year contract which includes ending contributions to the security plan, as well as grandfathered provisions for late nights and certain severance provisions.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Dock Builders side with the New York City District Council of Carpenters

Click to enlarge.
A group of 700 city dock workers voted today to stick with the New York City District Council of Carpenters instead of joining Amalgamated Carpenters and Joiners Union, a competing union with alleged mob ties.

“Today, New York City Dock Builders have made a clear choice to remain affiliated with the New York City and Vicinity District Council Carpenters,” said District Council leader Michael Bilello, in a statement released just after the votes were tallied. “We had faith in their prudence that was in the best interest of themselves and their families.

“They refused to be misled by false promises of those that have proven in the past that they cannot be trusted. Our members have rejected corruption,” he added.

A representative for the District Council put the count at 361 to 186, though the official results of the vote had not yet been released.

“I’m extremely happy,” said Ivan Schweikert, 45, a 27-year veteran with the Dock Builders who voted for the District Council. ”We did a lot of legwork to get the vote to turn out this way. Everybody was well-informed of the issues and as concerned as I was. I was fairly confident that it would go this way.”

Bilello had portrayed Amalgamated as a group trying to escape federal regulations after they were “weeded out” of a system that was plagued by years of corruption. He and Dennis M. Walsh, a federal review officer put in place in 2010 to monitor the trouble District Council, contended that the dock builders stood to lose their health benefits and pensions if they sided with Amalgamated.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Mobbed up? Not us says union leader on eve of crucial membership vote

By Al Barbarino

The leader of a breakaway construction union said this week he wants to “set the record straight” before a group of dock builders vote on who they want to represent them.

Angelo R. Bisceglie, Jr., founding president of Amalgamated Carpenters and Joiners Union, slammed allegations by the New York City District Council of Carpenters that his union’s leadership is affiliated with the mob, calling claims that he has ties to the Genovese and Colombo crime families “ridiculous.”

Bisceglie.
He said Amalgamated was formed because the contractors who work on some of the city’s most high profile construction projects deserve representation that can win them “fair wages for a fair day’s work.”

“Give me a break,” Bisceglie told Real Estate Weekly in an exclusive interview. “Contrary to what the District Council is spinning out there, we are not a mobbed-up union at all. They have me labeled as this mob attorney, which is total crap, and I want to set the record straight.”

Bisceglie said the move to break away from the union followed the decision last summer by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters to merge the Dock Builders Local 1456 with the so-called Timbermen of Local 1536 to create a new local, 1556.

The merger came much to the chagrin of contractors who had relied on a high-skilled workforce at the Local 1456, Bisceglie said.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Union carpenters reject work-rule changes

Click to enlarge.
Carpenters turn down several contracts negotiated with contractor associations last year—a blow to the builders pressing for more hiring flexibility.

By Erik Engquist

Members of the carpenters union have soundly rejected four contracts negotiated with contractor associations last year—a blow to contractors because the deals included a number of work-rule changes that they have long coveted.

The primary one was “full mobility” provision that would have enabled contractors to select any member of the union to work for them; the current system compels them to hire at least one-third of their workers via union referrals.

Voting results were revealed to members of the New York City District Council of Carpenters Tuesday. Agreements with the Building Contractors Association, Cement League and Wall, Ceiling and Carpet Industries were all rejected by nearly 2-to-1 margins, with nearly 2,400 votes cast on each, according to the union. A deal with the Greater New York Floor Coverers Association was defeated 123-94.

A single contract was approved, with the Hoisting Trade Association, by a 74-29 count, union officials said.

The carpenters' deals were negotiated by leaders who have since lost power. The new executive secretary-treasurer of the 25,000-member carpenters union, Mike Bilello, had argued against “full mobility” during his election campaign but did not take a formal position on the deals, except to say they deserved a vote.

“There were some unpopular things [in the agreements], in particular the full mobility,” Mr. Bilelo said. “It was really a referendum on full mobility.”

Another clause that some members disliked would have allowed two-person jobs without a shop steward. But the prospect of turning over all hiring to contractors was the primary issue for many rank-and-file members.

One carpenter, Demian Schroeder, said: “By giving the contractors 100% control over hiring, and no work-referral system, carpenters would be less likely to make complaints about noncompliance with the contract, labor law violations and safety violations. I voted against all of those contracts because they are profoundly antiunion agreements that eviscerated the fundamental union principles of our organization.”

Mr. Bilelo said he expected to begin negotiating agreements within a week. The contracts expired June 30, 2011, but an “evergreen clause” keeps them in effect for one year. The pressure is now on the union to get a new deal in place by June 30, 2012.

“We have got to come up with a contract that works for both sides,” Mr. Bilelo said. “We have to go fast. It cannot linger.”

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Open Letter

Click to enlarge.
Update: Heres a first, the Council posted my editorial on March 23...Better late than never.

(The following email was sent this morning, March 14.)

To Executive Committee
   
Re: Request to provide information on District Councils website

Per section 12 (G) of the District Council bylaws, I am requesting that you to post the article "Vote No on Contracts" (full text with links) on the District Councils website to provide the membership with a "range of positions and points of view" on the contract ratification vote. "

Section 12 (G) The Executive Committee shall have the authority and responsibility to provide information about the District Council to the public and the membership including by publishing The Carpenter and effectively maintaining the District Council website. When presenting information to the public and the membership, the Executive Committee shall provide information fairly reflecting the range of positions and points of view on subjects relevant to the District Council and members."

Should you have any questions or need anything further, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank You
John

cc Delegate Body

Audio: ROMAC Meeting March 19, 2012.

All members interested in union affairs should listen to this excellent question and answer session between Review Office, Dennis Walsh and ROMAC committee members on March 19, 2012 which covered a broad range of topics.

iPhone/iPad users click here.