The New York City District Council of Carpenters is pleased to announce the hiring of 15 new District Council Representatives. After a thorough three-day evaluation and interview process, these members joined our talented team in February and will strengthen our fight to increase our market share and protect the area standards of this city. The hiring process is on-going and we will continue to inform our membership as new District Council representatives are hired.
New District Council Representatives
Kenneth Bluhm, LU 157
Edward "Eamonn" Carey, LU 157
Ruben Colon, LU 157
Brian Conlon, LU 157
Anthony DiMarco, LU 157
Mangito Fowlkes, LU 157
Raymond Harvey, LU 2287
Anthony Madaio, LU 157
James Makin, LU 45
Gerald Matthews, LU 157
Jeremy Milin, LU 157
Rocco Morea , LU 926
Andrew Mucaria, LU 2090
Denis Pupovic, LU 157
Vanessa Salazar, LU 45
We seem to have plenty of money for new hires & everything else... What we really need is a plan to allow beat up carpenters with over 20 years service to retire or recieve a buyout.Construction is not a buisness where you can produce like when you were young.The NYCDCC needs to really look at their spending priorities.99% of contractors complaints are speed related.I cant justify hiring new people when we dont take care of the older members first.Positions like this should be saved for the older members who have paid their dues.Shame on the NYCDCC for not treating their older workers better !
ReplyDeleteAs evidenced, - Shame isn't something in their vocabulary.
ReplyDeleteDenis Pupovic is related to Rambo
ReplyDeleteGO RAMBO ON CRONYISM!
ReplyDeleteRocco Morea is related to Dominick Lavacca, former president of Carpenter Local Union 345 and former Director of Organizing for the New York City District Carpenters of Carpenters.
ReplyDeleteFrom the Daily News March 1th 1999.
National carpenters union officials, who took over New York's District Council of Carpenters in 1996, citing mob influence, have chosen a new director of organizing a man accused of his own mob ties.
Dominick Lavacca was accused last year by the union's court-appointed monitor of associating with two reputed Mafia members a violation of the union rules that bar mob contacts.
Lavacca admitted he was a long-time friend of Anthony Federici, a reputed Genovese crime family soldier based in Queens. Lavacca, former president of a Queens local, also acknowledged meeting with alleged Colombo family soldier Frank Melia after Melia who was close to former union chief Fred Devine was himself forced out of the union for mob membership.
BUT IN a switch from past practice, the charges against Lavacca were heard by union members instead of a special outside panel. Lavacca was acquitted. Last month, District Council Administrator Roger Newman promoted Lavacca to the organizing post, considered the No. 2 position in the council.
http://www.nydailynews.com/archives/news/1999/03/01/1999-03-01_union_bigs_trade_charges.html
How does the council hire new people an don't give its members there Jan. Raise. Hmmmmm seems like normal business down at the council. I bet all the new jobs will have 365 days of employment. There should be a poll of how many carpenters are actually making a full year of work except company guys.
ReplyDeleteThe Disrict Council, via the Funds and the Invention of the Computer already have the capability to break down the Exact Number of man-hours per year for every age group or demographic. It is simply a matter of someone in charge giving the order to do it & then assign the Councils IT people to produce the Report.
ReplyDeleteSo why not simply have someone make said request to RO Walsh, give them 30 days & post the Numbers?
It ain't Rocket Science. Perhaps it would expose the claim that the OWL Workers are being defrauded of their fair share of Hours, but I think not.
Seniority systems should be in place & assignments made for jobs predicated upon getting the men pensioned out in the shortest amount of time possible, for every classification ot UBC Workers.
Also of note - Many older workers have many more tricks up their sleeves via a lifetime of experience, so the claim that their all slow is ludicrous at best. Many of the younger workers don't have a work ethic...never learned one & the so called old-timers can & do run circles around them.
There should be a moratorium on taking in any new members until the Council achieves 90% employment for the members we have on board now!
ANDREW MUCARIA WAS AN APPRENTICE ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO. ANDREW MUCARIA NEVER WORKED ONE DAY, NOT ONE DAY IN CONSTRUCTION EVER.
ReplyDeleteANDREW MUCARIA WORKED IN THE JAVITS CENTER HIS ENTIRE APPRENTICESHIP.
HE LIVES IN HIS FATHER'S BASEMENT. THAT IS ALL THE TRUTH. NOT A JOKE. NO WORK EXPERIENCE. NO LIFE EXPERIENCE. BUT I GUARANTEE THEY WILL VOTE AS TOLD, SPINELESS.
Once again our leadership has failed us.
ReplyDeleteJust curious. What will they do with these 15 people. The big picture here is how they will be assigned. While local Officers become Business Reps and Council employees after election we now have Business Reps "HIRED".Hired to be what.Organizers??Have we created a new Council position called "appointed Business reps" who do not have to be elected to office.How will they place or appoint them. The council can designate elected Local Officers Business Reps with limited rights at the Local. Appointees can only be Temporary pending an election under the UBC Constitution.We wont even discuss the LMRDA yet. So where are these permanent new employees going.
ReplyDeleteThey tried this BS of appointing permanent local 157 Officers and you forced an election. Are we now doing an end run to pull this crap again.
McPussy has been appointing new Officers after the Pacific NW and Kansas mergers. These Officers can only be Temp pending an election but if the members drop the ball you can bet they will be permanent. So WHERE are these new Business Reps going and what will their permanent assignments be??
Anyone with 1/2 a brain can determine that we are over spending ourselves to death. We are doomed & soon the union will be no more. The even scarier thing is that 15 more of these positions are still to come. Everyone makes a living off the crippled back of the members who do all the work. I thought it couldn't get worse but .... The next thing I will receive in the mail will say we are insolvent + it wouldn't surprise me in the least. Incidently, many members would have done the 3 day process but were afraid to subject themselves + their families to the claims of organized crime.
ReplyDeleteApparently, some of the 15 will be at 395 Wednesday and Thursday mornings meeting with the stewards. There were a lot of new faces today, all partnered up with the Ancien Régime. And a pronounced air of consternation was expressed in body language of those scrambling Unity Team holdovers, as contrasted to their smug coteries of yore. Do you think we'll see another round of indictments when it's time to remove the training wheels?
ReplyDeleteVanessa Salazar is a carpenter with Local 45 and active member of the Women’s Steering Committee. She never thought growing up that she would work in the construction industry. Before construction, Vanessa worked as a paralegal for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and as a Program Coordinator for the Columbia Law School Legal Clinic. Vanessa received her B.S. in Marketing and Business Management from Cornell University in 1999, and completed her M.A. in Urban Studies and Public Policy in 2003 at Queens College. Currently, she is looking to enroll in a certificate program in either Project Management or Construction Supervision.
ReplyDeleteFive years ago, during a very difficult time in her life, Vanessa was fortunate to stumble upon Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW). She can still remember how scared she was during the interview process for admission and how relieved and proud she felt when she ultimately completed her pre-apprenticeship training. Before she knew it, she was a member of Local 45 in Queens and on her first jobsite looking for the carpenter foreman. Like many of her sisters, Vanessa was scared and uncertain if she would survive her first year. But then she was invited to a general meeting of the Women’s Committee she slowly started to feel at home.
By attending meetings and developing friendships with her sisters she began to shed her fears that she was too weak, too uncoordinated, too feminine, too masculine, too scared, and just plain too much of an outsider to ever be taken seriously by my fellow carpentry brothers. Vanessa stated that, “Over the years, the words of wisdom and encouragement I have received from my sisters have helped to shape me into the strong union member I am today.”
Vanessa is very active by volunteering her time to phone banking, organizing or attending workshops, fundraising and participating in the Revlon Run, and showing up at various events to promote sister solidarity. Vanessa believes it is important to provide quality programs for the sisters and to continue to broaden our reach as female construction workers. She states, “I think it is safe to say that we all belong to a very special society of women. We all come from different backgrounds and have different lives that we must cater to, but are all united under the sisterhood. Our jobs as carpenters are physically and mentally taxing, and yet gratifying and rewarding at the same time. We need to work together and for each other so that we can become a stronger voice within the UBC and so we can make the journey for our sisters a little easier.”
Vanessa took second place this year in our annual Golden Hammer competition.
http://unionwomencarpenters.com/pages/about/steering/vanessa.html
DROP DEAD UNITY TEAM !
ReplyDeleteShe pretty much just finished taking coffee orders for the last 4 years and because she went to collge and grad school she is now qualified to represent the membership???
ReplyDeleteI joined the union because I couldn't afford to finish college..and if I had finished college I would have used that degree not joined a labor union.
What college educated person would go through the bull shit an apprentice goes through if they had credentials to obtain a job they spent 4 years working toward?
She must have had easy in the field then..nice coffee jobs..insulate this..oohh she did concrete? yea right..I doubt very highly she could heavy lifting and climbing and bull work it takes day in and day out-out side in the heat and cold.
I have been in concrete for 15 years and I have seen women on the jobs..usualy doing the easiest job like make up or working with the surveyer or helping a male mechanic.
Believe me she is not raping columns with braces or standing 30 feet of scaffolding..she is not..dont say she is.. she gets the easiest jobs the company has and after they run out of easy work she gets her check.
No foreman wants to see a woman walk through the gate...because they take work away from old timers who paid their dues and deserve the easy jobs.
5 years might be enough but for a woman it goes from easy street to easier street... if she was a male she wouldn't have been looked at twice.
No foreman wants to see a woman walk through the gate....true.
ReplyDeleteHere's the but, EEOC work, Program Coordinator for Columbia and a couple of serious degrees. They do not just give those away.
Giver her half a chance....who knows, someday you may be facing an unscrupulous situation, boss, foreman, super whatever & she may be the exact type rep you need to process a complaint on your behalf or for the whole crew.
The recent Stewie case comes to mind....and companies do that to regular workers who have paid their dues & done their time. What she may lack in one area can be made up elsewhere.
Discrimination & crappy treatment on construction sites comes in all forms, from many angles & from the blue collar foreman to the white collar professionals.
Being a woman is strike one as you have amply demonstrated, having limited experience is strike 2 & being a minority is strike 3 right out of the gate.
My educated guess is that Vanessa's knowledge of these issues is far greater than most members, and yours - so give her a chance to perform and show she represents both the men & the woman. She may surprise you and become a damn good rep.
I have taught classes in caprentry & millwork to Union Carpenters, Architects, regular folk, both men & woman & some of the better students were the woman.
The other relevant thing with a degree is having two people with the same credentials, say a man & a woman....one has multiple degrees, the other does not - guess who the job goes to?
What did the Unity Team ever do right for the men or woman?
15 more of these people coming. How much more spending before we're broke ? The issue here is the older members who do all the work are getting the shaft. NYCDCC leadership has lost all credibility & we are being led to the slaughterhouse. Waste like this wont sit well with the members when they're told the funds are broke. What a total disaster !
ReplyDelete"if she was a male, she wouldn't have been looked at twice"....
ReplyDeleteboo-hoo
get a sex change & a college degree & you will be all set brother! I think its covered by Health & Welfare & our all inclusive anti-discrimination policies.
Call Vanessa, she can help you get through this..............
OK - ENOUGH OF THE COMIC RELIEF
Seriously though - why knock a brother or sister who has invested monies into their own education and into improving their marketable skills?
Sounds to me as if you regret not finishing your own college degree, so stop whining about it, get an Annuity loan & get your ass back into a degree program of your choosing. They have night & weekend programs available & through Unemployment (if you are on it) you can sign up for an extension and apply for re-training whether a CM type degree in Construction or an entirely different field.
It's when you take no action that regrets sink in....so don't take your frustrations out on her - go take care of yourself first....you will be better off for it and when you complete your degree, your opinion of Vanessa will change dramatically.
Protect you and your family by starting to build a new career.You will be ahead of most guys that try to stick this out.This ship is sinking + heading straight for the bottom.NYCDCC has reached the point of no return !
ReplyDeleteWith regards to the new hires for Business Rep/Organizer, I want to state that I was fortunate and honored to have been asked to participate in the 3 day training twice. I am questioning the methods on which some where hired, if those in power want to be transparent, they should post all the scores given to the particpents. It is my feeling that too many of those hired have some connection to the past regime, and are even related. As with regards to a newly graduated apprentice being hired just ask yourself this question, how is it that in order to be a Certified Steward you need (5) five years as a journeyperson in the field, but a new Journeyperson can become a Business Rep/Organizer? Does not make any sense, to me anyway. That is just my opinion. The powers to be have seen something in this person that she should at least be given a chance to prove herself, even if I disagree. I just think, and again it is my opinion that a Business Rep/Organizer have the experience in the field of at least 10 years to know what it is that the average person who goes to work each day, puts on their tools and performs their craft is dealing with on a daily basis. A Steward who has done the right thing on the job with regards to protecting the members, being present on the job and working along side the members should have the experience needed as with regards to dealing with the members, the foreman, the supt., the GC and at times the client to even have a grasp of what it is to be a true NYC Carpenter B.R./Organizer.
ReplyDeleteWhat about the carpenter who put in 25 years of backbreaking work ? Shame on nycdcc for not treating the older guys better.The people who make these decisions need to put back on the tools to remember where they came from.Shame on you !
ReplyDeleteThere was a job application, a resume needed to be submitted, you had to satisfied the UBC constitution section 31d, take a test, an initial interview, a 3 day evaluation, follow up interviews with RO and others, drug tested, plus more. 25 years in the field was not a requirement, never has been. 5 years is more than many who have been hired in the past have put in. Shame that people are judged before they can actually show what they are made of.....Do you really want a system that hires base on years on tools alone? If you do, you will find yourself at a disadvantage.
ReplyDeleteThis is clearly a issue which I completly disagree with the last post.These jobs should not be for people under 50. This is a way to reward the best of the older guys for a career of hard work & dedication.I really feel sorry for people who dont see it this way.Hours are hard enough to get & age discrimination is alive & well in the field.There are very few carpenters who will see there tiny retirements while young clerks will feast on theirs.It's a very sad day when these positions are rationalized & then justified. It's also time to offer buyouts because you people make me sick.
ReplyDeleteThe members have been witing 30 years for so called change.We have given enough chances to be declared insane.The feds will soon clean up this mess that hasn't been promised for many years.Our money is on the feds now because NYCDCC has lost all credibility. See you in court !
ReplyDeleteStop hating on people who work @ The Javits. You would if you could, so why hate on people making $ to support their family's?
ReplyDeleteHello All, I am a Philadelphia Carpenter, and I am just writing because of one of the dishearten post, that made me stop reading and write this. It was about how Vanessa does not deserve her position, because she is a women. I too, am a women, and have been a Union Carpenter for almost 10 years, I did an Apprenticeship, and have been a working Journeymen since. I have not had the easy jobs because I am a women, I never wanted them. I want every Foreman to look at me and expect the work of a man of my size. I am not a man, never wanted to be one, but I love my Trade, I building things and watching projects come together. I have my forklift, aerial lift, and OSHA 30 Certification. I have have my Green Advantage Cert. I am currently seeking my Rigging and Signaling Certs, and My STP Completion Card. We don't want to take work from anybody, but this is our work too, our careers as well. We here(women), we not going anywhere, we just want to be respected and taken seriously. So many of us are treated unfairly because of closed minded prejudices. We are fortunate in Philadelphia to not be limited by the projects we work on, so I've worked everything from Residential to Commercial, and Pre-Construction to Punch List. So Congratulate Vanessa, and if you want it, go get it. Taking her accomplishments away, however and for whatever reasons, want add to or make anyone else more successful. I don't, however, agree with adding New Hires if work is so slow, and majority of the membership laid off. That makes me think that work is not really as slow as they say, they just put who they want to work. In Philly we have open solicitation, so we can walk on to any job and inquire about work. Good Luck Brothers and Sisters.
ReplyDeletei have no problem with woman workin but if im the more skilled person for the job why am i held back cause of my sexuality that is wrong men nedd to feed there familys too.or you will see alot of court problems for profiling race sex doesnt matter anymore the better worker works bottom line we need to compete with nounion not play race sex games
DeleteI LEFT A COMMENT A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO,WAS PUBLISHED,NOW MISSING IN ACTION. TO HAVE DENTAL,VISION, MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT,HIGHER DEDUCTIBLES,COPAYMENTS,AND ETC....TAKEN AWAY OVERNIGHT, MASSIVE CHANGES,ALL FOR THE WORSE,AT MEMBERS EXPENSE,WHY IS EVERYONE SO QUIET? RETIRES ALREADY PAID INTO THESE PROGRAMS THROUGH THE YEARS, SO AGAIN I SAY WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?
ReplyDeletelabor omnia vinciti through the virtue of honorable labor we prevail that includes my 5 sisters and two daughters and vanessa she is really a commanchie warrior indian watch your words or your scalp will be on her tee pee hoka heey that is apache look it up
ReplyDeletelabor omnia viciti / labor omnia more money / if my wife were a 157 carpenter / we would be set /for life /covering all bases /really 300,000. 00 dollars p/yesr pay and benifits /for a blue collar family is outstanding /
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