Despite Weather Rally Shines

(John's note: Here is some video of the Rally.  I will post more speakers as time allows, this clip features myself, Bill Walsh and Donny Arana...enjoy)

Hundreds of rank and filers from the New York City District Council of Carpenters participated in a second protest rally outside union headquarters at 395 Hudson Street on Thursday August 25.

Rank-and-file Carpenters mobilized into action for the second time sending a loud and clear message to union officials demanding a new contract that includes wage increases.

We had a great time, we had fantastic rank and file speakers and a special guest appearance by Frankie the Rat.

Members were fired up with chants of "No Pay Cuts," "Rats in the building, Rats go Home" and "Send McCarron Home."

Unfortunately overcast skies, light rain and threat of heavy rain; kept many members from attending, the weather held and the sun started to break through the clouds towards the end of the rally.

Thank you to all the members who participated and especially the rally organizers who made this rally a huge success. Click here for rally pictures.

(Click continue reading for a transcript of my Rally Speech)


We are all proud to be Union Carpenters!

God bless you!

I would like to introduce today's special guest Frankie The Rat!

Our Contract Negotiations are being led by UBC Supervisor Frank Spencer.

Spencer is more concerned with informing the membership about the Picnic & Softball Charity Tournament than he is concerned about informing the membership on our contracts and our livelihood which has a direct effect on our families.

Mr. Spencer seems to be sitting on the Contractors side of the table and is negotiating against himself.

Spencer promised the membership that he will bring "new and innovative ideas to the bargaining table."

Well…on June 30, 2010 at the urging of the Contractors, Frank Spencer, with neither the counsel nor consent of the membership enacted one of his new and innovative ideas,- a 90 day wage freeze on our contractual raise!

This wage concession was a multimillion dollar gift to the Contractors who Spencer cozies up to.

This wage concession was based on a theory by the Contractors that a wage freeze would "spur new projects."

Well…That predication has been disproved, since the contractors could not provide any documentation, or the promised new projects to support that theory.

On December 30, 2010 Spencer enacted another one of his new and innovative ideas.

Again, with neither the counsel nor consent of the membership he unilaterally made another concession to the Contractor Bosses and decided to take back a $2.13 per hour contractual raise schedule for January 1, 2011.

Again on April 21, 2011 Spencer made another promise to the membership, He said, “The District Council will not consider any proposal that includes a reduction in wages."

Last week at the bargaining table, and at the urging of the contractors, Spencer went back on his word and enacted yet another one of his new and innovative ideas...a PAY-CUT!

The District Council and the Contractor Associations had an agreement on the table that called for a 5 percent pay cut in the first year!

Furthering his endeavor to "remain the leader of wages and benefits in this industry."

His words are no joke!

Carpenters were shocked when we learned about this agreement to cut our pay.

Last Tuesday we mobilized into action.

Rally fliers were posted on the 157 blog and by Wednesday and Thursday rally organizers were distributing fliers to shop stewards at the District Council. Word of mouth immediately spread on job-sites and on Friday, hundreds of Union Brothers and Sisters responded and shook this Council Up!

Give your self a round of applause!

You sent a loud and clear message to the UBC and the PAY-CUT is officially off the table.

Join me in a chant: NO PAY-CUTS!...NO PAY-CUTS!...NO PAY-CUTS!

This week as contract talks continue we have reminded the UBC of the sacrifices and concessions the membership of this union have already made.

Let us remind them that our members are working on Project Labor Agreements and Market Recovery Jobs that have already made adjustments to wages and benefits.

Let us also remind them that every other trade union in this city has negotiated pay increases for their membership.

The Contractors and the UBC are insulting the hardest working men and women who build this city and make those contractors profitable.

They want to turn back the clock on what we have gained.

Now is not the time to go backward.

Someone has to take a stand against the gross misrepresentation the UBC has instituted against the carpenters.

That’s why we are here!

We won't go backwards and let the contractors and the UBC destroy the middle class in this city.

New York City has always been a union city and will always be a union city.

Join me in a chant: UNION!...UNION!...UNION!

There are some leading Developers and Contractors who say its in their best interest to bear the short-term pain of a strike in order to win more concessions at the bargaining table.

Well...We have a message for them!

BRING.... IT.... ON!

This is where we draw the line....The Contractors say Give-backs, We say Fight-back!

Join me in a Chant: They say Give-backs, We Say fight Back...They say Give-backs, We Say fight Back!

We also have a message for UBC leadership. We have had enough of your corruption. We have had enough of your Triple Assessments. We have had enough of your Supervision.We have had enough of your lack of information. We have had enough of your lies.

Go home you are not welcome here!

NYC is ground zero, this is where we stand our ground.

From one end of this country to the other, the eyes of the brotherhood are watching what we do.

This is the battlefield. We are either going to Fight or die as a union right here, right now.

The Carpenters are the largest, best trained, most talented, most productive and skilled tradesmen and tradeswomen this city has to offer!

We are under assault from the UBC .

This rank and file union will not back down and watch the living standard of the middle class be destroyed.

We are not going to take this assault lying down.

Brothers and Sisters this fight is about us, the working class and the survival of this Union.

We build this City!

This is a fight for the survival of our union as we know it!

In the coming months we will be holding elections for local union delegates -and new District Council Leadership.

This is our chance, We either reform this Union and empower the membership or it will cease to exist as we know it.

With all of us standing together in solidarity, we cannot be defeated.

We can and will shake things up in the District Council.

Together in December we are going to send Frank Spencer and Douglas McCarron home.

Join me in a chant: Send McCarron go home...Send McCarron go home...Send McCarron go home!

Brothers and Sisters with your help we are going to reform this union in a meaningful way.

We have been abused for too long!

This is our union, this is our time, this is our defining moment.

Thank you and god bless our union.