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Silent Night
Melville Feeder Jose Valdez “felt robbed by not being able to say goodbye and thank you directly to Ron for all he had done for us.” Indeed, brother, we all felt robbed by the silence that was wrongly imposed on Ron which we had to withstand the past 10 years.
As to our Executive Board, the silence was deafening! Not only was his name rarely mentioned at Union meetings by this Board, but upon news of Ron’s death, all that this Executive Board could muster were 3 indifferent lines on their website to mark the passing of a great man.
A matter of fact, days after Ron’s death, members still weren’t aware that he had died. Why the silence? Was it shame over abandoning Ron when he was fighting for his political life? Was it guilt over not attending any of Ron’s trial appearances here in NYC?
Regardless, it was their obligation as our executive union officials to inform the membership who admired and respected this man.
One can expect Hoffa to be silent on Ron’s death and legacy as well as UPS’ cold silence (Though it would have been the decent thing of Brown to at least send flowers or a symbolic convoy of UPS trucks to drive by the Church as a nice send off…but not this heartless outfit!) But this type of disrespect from 804 officials is unacceptable.
In addition, this Executive Board was “No Show, No Call”. Not one of them showed up at the wake. Not one of them showed up at the funeral. Not even flowers. Nothing!
If they had attended the wake, they would have observed members streaming into the funeral home. If they had attended the funeral, they would have seen a congregation of Teamsters saying goodbye to their leader and friend.
They would have smiled when they heard Ron’s son telling us “how proud Ron was of the membership”. They would have laughed when they heard Ron’s brother say that “Ron is now organizing the angels…working to get them a better contract”.
In closing, I think the poem written on Ron Carey’s Mass card speaks for all of us:
“To laugh often and much: to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children: to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends: to appreciate beauty: to find the best in others: to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition: to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to succeed.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
Unresolved
I left the October 19 General Membership Meeting unfulfilled. I went there seeking answers and the truth, but I left with more questions; nothing was resolved.
President Howie Redmond began his President’s Report by acknowledging the new By-laws changes that the Rank-and-File pushed through last Spring.
He went on to state that the Pension Fund was at 67.2%, still in the “yellow zone” (80% is where we need to be). However, he mentioned that these numbers were from a 2007 Report: not encouraging.
Redmond continued by acknowledging that our Health and Welfare Fund’s latest numbers showed $50 Million in expenditures and $47 Million in income. A $3 Million deficit is unsustainable and dangerous!
Yet Redmond was “not overly concerned” and would “find a way to fund it”. In 2006, our Executive Board diverted money from our Health and Welfare Fund (without us being informed at that moment) in order to help our Pension Fund. So excuse me if I seem a bit skeptical.
Then Redmond mentioned the “Letter” that was sent to the membership addressing our pensions and the Wall Street crash. He spoke of a “Letter of Agreement” in the contract as our “protection” from this Wall St meltdown.
It was then that 29 year Feeder Pete Mastrandrea went up to the mic to question the Board about the “Letter of Agreement”. Pete asked: “Was the ‘Letter’ in the first contract?” Howie responded: “No, not in the form it is now.”
Pete: “Before I thank the Board for putting it in this contract, I want to thank the membership of 804 for standing together in unity and solidarity against the wishes of the International …and against the Executive Board for recommending that first contract!” Lots of cheers.
Howie: “In the first agreement, there were monetary numbers and we took them out of the contract…We changed it when we went back for the second time!” Some cheers.
But why were there any cheers at all? Wasn’t this Board recommending the first contract that didn’t have this “protection” at all? This first agreement with the “monetary numbers” seemed good enough for this Board. It was the rank-and-file who saw this as bad and demanded better numbers and language!
It was this Executive Board who originally conceded to UPS all those givebacks: no 25 and out or “coffee” for new hires, the 10 cent diversion from our raises.
Now they want to come across as heroes for “saving our pensions “? Talk about rewriting history! If they hadn’t allowed our pensions to be cut in the first place, it wouldn’t have
been on the table at all and wouldn’t need to be “saved”!
They seem to be playing politics with this issue. For all this appears to be a big delay tactic to forestall the day of reckoning to August 1 2009, when we get that all important report on our pension funds.
Getting back to the Pete and Howie Debate, Pete asked: “What if UPS is reading it differently? Can we wind up in arbitration?” Howie responded: “Yes, they may challenge it.”- translation : Don’t blame me if it goes to arbitration. Pete continued his interrogation: “But if it falls into the ‘red zone’ before the lump sum (to keep accrual rate at $144) is paid, could the Co. turn around and cut the benefit?”
Howie could only insure that “We have a 10 yr plan” and that he doesn’t “believe” we are going to be in the “red zone” unless the market tanks again.
I guess it is all about trust. However, it is quite difficult not to look back over the past couple of years and not be skeptical of this Board. Haven’t we been down this road before?
In the end, it appears the Executive Board is clinging to that flimsy “Letter to the Members” to explain what a great job they did in “protecting” our pensions. I guess that might be true if they had truly protected our pensions when it was needed in 2006!
But if you remember, they kept us in the dark about all the inconvenient news on our pensions until it was safe: after their re-elections in November 2006!
Were they protecting our pensions when they were giving the house away in early negotiations with UPS in 2007? No, it took the rank-and-file to rise up and reject their first sell-out contract. And now the Board’s entire political future hangs by a thread (actually 2 weak and vague sentences on the last page of the contract- the “Letter of Agreement”!)
A matter of fact, this “Letter of Agreement” seems more like an afterthought than a protection.
This Executive Board’s legacy has much riding on this “Letter”. These past 10 years without Ron Carey haven’t been pretty: leaving Carey out to dry, bowing down to Hoffa, record dues increase, 2 very weak contracts, the pension fiasco, the new Health/Welfare shortfalls, out of touch with the rank-and-file, and now this!
We had Brown where we wanted them, but the Hoffa/Redmond team decided to negotiate early and they gave away the calendar which was on our side. They settled early and short, rushing this contract through without really looking at the long term repercussions of their rush job: stock market swings or crashes. No one in our leadership had the foresight to even think of this possibility? This is what leadership is supposed to be about: seeing things coming or at least having a Plan B.
But it seems our Board’s Plan B is to claim victory, stall and wait for it to go to arbitration while blaming UPS. Again, that is not leadership; that is acknowledging they might have messed up and are covering themselves.
In other words, they are sitting on the ball and hoping to run out the clock. Well, it is too late in the game for them. Time has run out a long time ago for this crew. Change is in the air these days and it’s coming to this Local next year.
They lost control of the ball when the rank-and-file overwhelmingly rejected their first sell-out contract! They lost control of the game and the season when the rank-and-file pushed through stronger By Laws to keep the Executive Board more accountable to the membership.
In the end, they have lost our trust a long time ago. Meanwhile, we’ll just add this latest fiasco to the list and assume this is headed for arbitration. The rank-and-file membership is looking for a new leadership team with a fire in its belly and the wisdom and foresight to fight the good fight for our pensions and our future!
What Happens In Vegas…
It seems unbelievable: We are under siege by UPS management and our Executive Board was “out of town” in Las Vegas for several days in May attending the “Unity Conference” Poker Game and Golf Tournament. Is this where our dues are going? Scroll down and take a look at the schedule of events and the fees!
Back in May I mentioned to a member about our Executive Board going to Vegas. He responded flatly: “Does it really make a difference if they’re here or not. He cruises in here once a week, maybe. And when he’s here, what does he really accomplish. What a joke! Don’t forget our dues will be going up again in August…Let’m all stay in Vegas!”
Are you hearing similar things in your building? Isn’t it amazing how this board has the time to skip off to Las Vegas, but couldn’t find the time to schedule our June Union Meeting to discuss our pension problems as well as this new health and welfare fiasco! (Go to www.Local804MembersUnited.org and read Liam Russertt’s piece on the Executive Board Cancelling our Summer Membership Meeting)
The Coming Train Wreck
As you might have already read, research by Local 804 Members United has revealed that the Local 804 Health Fund has lost at least half of its assets since June 2003. It went from over $32 million in reserves to about $14.5 million as of June 2007.
Were we ever told about this immense problem occurring for the past 5 years? No! Sound familiar? Can you recall our 2006 Pension Fiasco? There seems to be an ominous pattern here.
Remember back in late November 2006, we were told about our Pension problems after UPS made a move on the Pension Fund. Once again, it took the investigative research of Local 804 Members United to expose this new fiasco…our Executive Board’s latest train wreck. It didn’t come from the Board itself; it had to be revealed by others.
When were they going to tell us this news on our Health Fund? If we go by their established pattern (Remember, they “told” us about the pension fiasco after they were re-elected in early November 2006), it seems likely we might have been informed sometime in late November/early December 2009!
However, at the apparent rate of the current loses our Fund has been experiencing, who even knows if any reserves will be left by then!
Let’s see what happens to our precious $.35 we are due from the “fair” contract; I’ve got a bad feeling!
How would the membership have voted on the last contract if we were given the whole story? But once again, we the rank-and-file were kept in dark.
Real leadership would have leveled with the membership! But once again, fear and politics comes first with this group: Fear of the membership knowing what they are up to and fear of us throwing them out of office!
Let them know that we do know what they have been up to. Call the Union Hall (718) 786-5410 and flood the switch board! And go to the Local 804 Members United website and thank them for really delivering for us
Seventh Annual JRHMSF Golf Tournament
and Third Annual Texas Hold’Em Poker Tournament
May 19 – 21, 2008*
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Register early to reserve your spot in the seventh annual Drive for Education Golf Tournament and the third annual All In for Education Texas Hold’Em Poker Tournament, May 19 – 21, 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. *This year’s golf pre-tournament is a paid practice session on Monday, May 19 and a two-day competition tournament Tuesday, May 20 and Wednesday, May 21.
Space is limited to 324 golfers and 200 poker players.
The tournaments will be held in conjunction with the 2008 Unity Conference May 18 –19.
The Unity Conference and poker tournament will be held at Bally’s Hotel and Casino. The golf tournament will once again be held at Paiute Golf Resort.
The golf tournament entry fees are:
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Golfers (union members/others) - $1,300 per person
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Non-golfers (union members) - $500 per person
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Non-golfers (vendors and others) - $1,000 per person
Entry fees for golfers will cover cost of tee prizes, green fees, carts and practice balls during the tournament, as well as evening receptions and the banquet. The fees for non-golfers will cover cost of participation in all evening receptions and the banquet.
The poker tournament entry fee is $1,300 per player and will cover the cost of prizes, as well as evening receptions and the banquet.
Entry fee does not include hotel accommodation or airfare. Checks should be made payable to the James R. Hoffa Memorial Scholarship Fund (JRHMSF).
Registration Information
Deadline for registration is April 19, or when all the tournament positions have been filled.
For more information call 202-624-8982.
THE FEBRUARY 24 UNION MEETING
It was a beautiful Sunday morning when the members of Local 804 met in Lake Success to attend the February 24 General Membership Meeting. It was intended to be an hour of submitting the 2000 signatures gathered in order to change the bylaws to give the members more information about our pensions and during contract negotiations, as well as discuss the new contract we are presently working under.
However, our Executive Board received us by siccing their spokesman, President Howard Redmond on the membership and ignoring our contract concerns. Redmond’s "President’s Report" was a tirade filled with curses, accusations, and name calling. It’s bad enough we get disrespected everyday by UPS management, but at our own union meeting by our own Board is just beyond the pale.
Dialogue and Diatribe
He began his tirade by complaining about members who were "handing out papers about how great other local’s pension benefits were." He seemed offended that the Convoy Dispatch did a comparison of pension benefits for UPS Teamsters in different parts of the country. Redmond claimed that "certain members" were "cherry-picking" the good things and leaving out the bad things with Local 294 in upstate New York. He pointed out that members up there can receive $5500 a month "only if they stay til they’re 65 years old."
Well, Redmond was wrong. Those numbers stand up. It is a fact that members in Local 294 right now can retire with about $5500 per month after 30 years regardless of age. I think 25 year alternate shop steward Jim Reynolds said it best: " When Local 804 won 25 and out benefits, our pension fund established itself as the gold standard in our union." But now, he continued, "many UPS Teamsters get superior benefits to ours."
Then Redmond continued attacking members "every year getting a piece of paper telling them what your pensions about...telling them whether it’s funded or not." He blamed the members for "not reading it." It is true, we were given the numbers every year, but without any context to what the numbers meant.
It is the duty of the Executive Board to explain to the rank-and-file what those numbers mean (a leaked actuarial report revealed that our average investment returns over the past 5 years have been about 3% and over the past 10 years only 6%). They should have said to us that these numbers sucked and that if they didn’t improve, changes would have to be made.
It is quite obvious that our Executive Board knew about it, but decided to keep us in the dark. What irony! Throughout Redmond’s tirade, he kept accusing some of the members of always criticizing but never having any solutions. Maybe in the last 10 years, experienced and concerned members such as Pete Mastandrea or Jim Reynolds or Tim Sylvester could have offered answers or solutions to our impending pension problems.
Instead , they blame us , the rank-and-file, for not figuring things out for ourselves. Is this not a dereliction of their duty to us?
Next on Redmond’s hit list was 28 year member and shop steward Tim Sylvester. He accused Sylvester of "digging in the garbage in raising the name of Ed Dougherty who died on the picket lines." Redmond went on: "You know the guy who said that wasn’t even in the God damned union at the time...He has know idea what the hell he’s talking about! That strike had nothing to do with pensions!"
Was Redmond trying to infer that since Sylvester was not in the union at the time (the 1973 strike) , that he has no right to bring it up to make a point about concessions on pensions? I’m sure Tim Sylvester wasn’t around in 1776 but I know for sure he celebrates July 4th every year! It’s a bogus argument meant to drown out dissent!
Moreover, Sylvester corrected Redmond by stating that in fact: " Go to the 804 Magazine (Spring 2003) ...it states ‘Doc Doughtery died over retiree pensions’...Howie, you printed it!" The point trying to be made was why give up any pension benefit that a man actually died for.
Sylvester then went on to question why such a huge gap exists in 804's "official" history. In a method reminiscent of Stalin’s Russia, our "official" history mysteriously excludes the name Ron Carey as well as Carey’s surprise win in 1967 as 804's President, an unprecedented 25 and out pension for all members, and of course, his historical win in the first ever election as President of the Teamster’s International Union.
It does, however, include and highlight the 2002 "Best Contract Ever." I cannot wait to see what they write about this recent "fair" contract. Will history once again be rewritten?
Redmond ended the debate between he and Sylvester by ranting "You’ve made your fuckin’ point...now sit down!" But Redmond was not finished. When 29 year Teamster Pete Mastandrea came up to the mic, he too was greeted with name calling. Redmond disrespectfully called Mastandrea "Pistol Pete" (in describing how Pete waved his arms as he walked down the hall aisle at the last Union Meeting in October). In fact, Mastandrea was actually responding to other rank-and-file members wanting to high-five him after taking the Executive Board to task over the contract.
When Mastandrea was finally allowed to speak, he asked "Where’s the respect?" He then went on in support of Sylvester’s statements adding that in mentioning Dougherty, "that we shouldn’t even remember this guy?"
The Members Respond
At last , the President’s Report was over and on to New Business. Chris Sabatino , steward out of Elmsford, handed in the 2000 signatures to change the bylaws that were collected from all UPS Facilities in Local 804. As each amendment was read by the skeptical Board, a large cheer went out in support of the needed changes to our bylaws. If passed, they will allow the membership to get more information on our pensions at every General Membership Meeting and keep us more informed during contract negotiations
Next up to the mic was Farmingville driver Bill Reynolds. He told us how back in October 2006, he was told by a senior member of the Executive Board that he could " rest assured that when he went to bed at night," his pension was "safe and secure." Well, we all know the rest of the story here. A month later, after the Local elections of course, we were told that the pension "was in trouble." What happened to "the books have been checked...."
Redmond responded by saying "that was before the Pension Protection Act. The law changed!" Once again, our President has his facts wrong. The Pension Protection Act was signed into law on August 17, 2006. It was already a law when Reynolds was assured that the pension fund was fine. In reality, our pension fund was not safe and secure.
The Executive Board was well aware that our pension fund was underperforming , they knew that the Pension Protection Act was the new law , and they knew there was a Pension Trustees Meeting coming up. Yet none of this was brought up at the October 6th Union Meeting! Why?
What was spoken about at this key Union Meeting was that two of the Executive Board members were retiring and being replaced by two "friends of the Board" and that all eleven Board members would be up for "re-election" in November! Amazing...with this looming disaster in the background, nothing was mentioned, but keeping their high salaried positions was most important.
After Redmond began ranting about how destructive TDU (Teamsters for a Democratic Union) was, Maspeth steward Liam Russertt gallantly stood up to defend TDU members and the right to dissent. Redmond hastily interrupted Russert : "What’s your point!" Russert continued that he joined TDU " to make sure this union is strong... a better union . We all want unity against UPS but we need more information from the Board."
Once gain Redmond interrupted claiming "You are one of those guys handing out a lot of that shit on the pensions." Russert quickly responded by defending what makeUPSdeliver had put out on Local 294's pension benefits compared to ours as true as opposed to what "the Executive Board was told by others (the actuaries) that the pension was fine!"
Russert wrapped up his time at the mic by forcefully stating: " I do not try to divide this union . I’m a former military guy...the truth should come out! This situation is like the Democrats and the Republicans, both parties work for the government but have different ideas on how to run it."
RePete Performance
Pete Mastandrea returned to the mic to address Redmond’s call for "solutions." Mastandrea reminded Redmond that the idea of getting the part-timers into our pension fund, an idea that had been around since the Carey days, would immensely help our pension fund without the pain. When Redmond disparagingly told him that "Ronnie didn’t deliver it did he", the room filled with loud sighs in response to this attack on Carey’s legacy ...this Local is still a Carey local!
Mastandrea jabbed back saying that "If you would have stood strong in negotiations, we would have got the part-timers in the pension fund" with a loud cheer behind him! He followed up blasting Redmond for "not stating in his President’s Report how proud you were of the membership for knocking this contract down! Cause I’m God damn proud of everyone in this room...!" -to a thunderous roar!
He finished up by castigating the Board for "discouraging a lot of people from saying what’s on their minds." In a strong nod to the bylaws changes, Mastandrea told the Board that "we are starving for information" and exclaimed that "TDU, though I’m not a member, we got more information on this contract from them then we got from you!" - once again to big cheers.
The Aftermath
It was an unbelievable exhibition of irony. The Executive Board railing against "disunity" yet it was this type of disrespectful performance by our Board that truly causes disunity.
After the meeting, which ran almost an hour and a half, most members didn’t want to leave the hall. They felt that something happened at this union meeting. Someone said: "They had no right to speak to us that way!"
Well this member got part of it right. It’s that this Executive Board just doesn’t get it at all. Under Ron Carey’s leadership we grew ; we were kept informed; we were respected; we were rewarded with good contracts. Other locals around the country have leaders who are ahead of the curve, who are pro-active ( do lots of organizing, are active politically, get their rank-and-file involved, fight for strong, non-concessionary contracts, etc)- unions willing to take chances by taking on the company . Union leadership that welcomes an open forum of dialogue with its membership.
But not here in Local 804 (at least not these days). Our Executive Board calls this kind of forum "dividing the union." I call this democracy in action. We pay their salaries; they are our elected officials. Speaking out is part of being in a democratic union ; it’s something to be proud of. But they still say we divide the union
Well as usual, they are not getting what’s really happening within our union. The division exists; it is true but not among the rank-and-file! It exists between the leadership and the membership! This is not fostered by TDU or any other entity, but by the leadership itself!
They have forced our collective hand to take the initiative . This union became "divided" the day the Executive Board left Ron Carey hanging in the wind when he needed our support.
Yet they are angry at us, the rank-and-file , for challenging their authority. Though, in theory, challenging the leadership should actually strengthen our union. If not challenged, leadership gets stale and ignores innovation.
I guess "for the times we are in" criticizing is out of order in our union...unless of course you show up with a "solution." Welcome to the Soviet Politburo ..comrade.
Memo to the Executive Board: You guys work for us...we have every right to question every single one of you...we pay you a hefty salary and have given you a pretty good life. The least this Board can do is hear our grievances!
But let’s face it, after the past few years , the trust is gone. Their "experience" and personal history mean nothing anymore. This entire Board is complicit in the fiasco of the past 10 years: deserting Carey, supporting Hoffa, ignoring Leedham, the pension fiasco, concessionary contracts, etc.
I know that some members like certain Board members personally...fine...but a line has been crossed. Collective guilt deserves collective punishment. Hopefully , next year the membership will dole out that punishment loud and clear.
At the Union Meeting, it must be noted that the "fair contract" was not brought up by the Board. They must have been embarrassed by the rank-and-file showing them up in the 3 to 1 vote against the contract. So what did they do...they went on the offensive...attacking the members.
But this is nothing new. One of the Board members in particular, likes to complain about how I come to "his building" and hand out my newsletter to my fellow rank-and-file 804 members. Mind you, this is at a UPS facility, but to him, it is his building.
That’s part of the problem with this Executive Board: they assume they own us! That the membership is supposed to bow down before them. Guys who haven’t been on a truck or even touched a package for years or used a DIAD board ever are literally out of touch with this membership. And they want us to practically kiss their ring . As though we owe them so much for doing their jobs. Maybe they are waiting to be tipped. Well I have a tip for them...change is coming to Local 804!
Nevertheless, once again, the rank-and-file has taken the bold initiative: 2,000 members signed the petition demonstrating the will of the membership. It seems that while our Executive Board is standing still in time, this rank-and-file movement is growing and is showing the way by leading from below by mobilizing the members to the large NO vote.
The movement now demands a changing of the bylaws to open up the process about OUR MONEY! This is a true grass-roots movement ; no one is paid to stand out in the cold handing out flyers to inform the membership. All volunteers, on our own time , on our own dime whether it’s after work on a Thursday night getting signatures at the 43rd St building or in the early morning before work at the Nassau building.
No Howie, this is not just "disagreeing to be disagreeable." This is a new way of connecting with the rank-and-file. As Mastandrea said earlier "they are starving for information." One faction does not hold the monopoly on ideas and solutions. Furthermore, being in the leadership for 30 years or 30 months isn’t an entitlement to know what’s right for the membership.
However, the rank-and-file has woken up. They are learning what this Board is all about, what is has done and , more importantly, what has not done. Redmond claims "that I would do nothing to hurt this union." In his heart, this might be very true, but operationally, this union has been diminished over the past 10 years!
Though it must be admitted that it might be difficult to replace a Ron Carey who made all the right moves for us, it has been 10 long years of decay. This has been 804's first lost decade..the decade of decay: minuscule raises, frozen pensions, rising co-pays, higher dues, concessions, etc.
But let’s not kid ourselves here: it is not the rank-and-file who have budged...it has been the Executive Board that has changed. They stopped fighting, took the safe road by appeasing Hoffa , concessions to UPS. It was they who made the first move...they left us. Maybe the rank-and-file was too complacent due to our trust in what Ron Carey put together here and we assumed we were getting the same type of leadership.
Well, we have given them 10 long years to create some legacy of their own. But when you look closely, they don’t have a "legacy" to stand on. That added to the fact that this Executive Board has lost as much credibility as it has, frankly makes it imperative to make a big change. Not change for change sake. But real progress with a new leadership with new fresh ideas to move us forward.
The October Union Meeting
On October 14 , our Union "leadership"publicly stated that it endorsed this "tentative agreement" with UPS. Howie Redmond, looking not his usual confident self, told the standing room only General Membership Meeting, that this was a "fair contract". Looking down on us from their perches on the dais, the Executive proclaimed:
To read the rest of the article, click here.
The Members Respond
"Howie, it’s not a good agreement...it’s not a fair agreement...It’s a bad agreement!" Those were the words of 29 year Teamster Pete Mastandrea, Feeder out of the Nassau Building...
To read the rest of the article, click, here.
The Good Life
Here is Local 804's contribution to the $100,000 Club as well as several who made it onto the $150, 000 Club list. These numbers are easily accessible by requesting Local 804's LM2s through the Department of Labor’s website. You can go see for yourself every financial statement Local 804 has made as far back as 2000: executive board salaries , the union’s assets, and how much they spend on everything from air conditioning to lawyer bills , and much , much more.
http://erds.dol-esa.gov/query/getOrgQry.do. I was also able to look back to see Local 804's LM2s for the year 2000 ( Currently, I have a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the Dept of Labor in order to see what our officials were making in the Ron Carey years...stay tuned).To read the rest of the article, click, here.
Where's the Leadership?
Are things falling apart at Local 804? First, you have the Executive Board not cancelling the Summer meeting...Big Deal right ...first time in 10 years. Meanwhile, the Business Agents had been telling the members that "there is no news" on contract negotiations, discouraging them to not attend. WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!!
To read the rest of the article, click here.
Misroute
written by Ron Izzo, former shop steward at Route Messenger
"Two years ago, the rank-and-file of Route Messenger voted for oblivion. For 30 years 804 had a charter with Route Messenger . The members were asked to vote for a 10% wage reduction which would enable the company to sustain itself for one and a half years. Six months was still left on our 3 year contract. The owners would look to restore that 10% concession at that time.
To read the rest of the article, click here.
Co-Pays Go Way Up
I recently spoke to a very knowledgeable and involved rank-and-file member of 804 about the recent outrageous increase in our co-pays.
To read the rest of the article, click here.
The February 25 General Membership Meeting
Howie Redmond reported that he had nothing to report;
To read the rest of the article, click here.
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Election Results
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| President | Howard Redmond | 1,991 | ||
| Secretary Treasurer | Tony Magrene | 1,986 | ||
| Vice President | Bill Buhlert | 1,884 | ||
| Chris Williamson | 640 | |||
| Recording Secretary | Tony Donato | 1,879 | ||
| Steven Ayoung | 661 | |||
| Trustees | Bill Leary | 1,883 | ||
| Pat DeFelice | 1.867 | |||
| Angelo Guarella | 1,866 | |||
| Greg Welch | 697 | |||
| Benjamin E. Mack, Sr. | 668 | |||
| Assistant Business Agents | Tom Connolly | 1,917 | ||
| Frank Laquidara | 1,894 | |||
| Steve Medina | 1,861 | |||
| John Nemeth | 1,854 | |||
| Dan Perez | 723 | |||
| Mark Holmes | 200 | |||
Members Turn Out in Force at Emergency Union Meeting
I had planned on writing in the December issue about why no one usually attends Local 804's General Membership Meetings (only 3 a year) and what occurs at these sparsely attended meetings.
But the pension issue has itself lit a fire under the membership that I have been trying to do since I started this newsletter in September.
To read the rest of the article, click here.
Entrenched Power and Reform
Well, the election season is over and we have Hoffa for another 5 years and Redmond and Co for another 3 years. Pretty discouraging results indeed. Yet why is it that many members refuse to run for union office, especially our own Local 804?
To read the rest of the article, click here.
New York UPSers Respond Angrily to Pension Cuts
December 6, 2006. Hit by a 30 percent pension cut, many New York Local 804 Teamsters feel it’s time to fight back.
To read the rest of the article, click here.
Executive Mistakes?
If you were at the December 17 meeting , Howie Redmond was quite adamant about how pissed off he was at the managers of our pension money. ... However, if you look at the Central States’ problem ...
To read the rest of the article, click here.
Putting the "Moc" in Democracy
Once again, the Local 804 Executive Board has put the "moc" into the word "democracy". With the "sudden" retirement announcement (the last week of September) of Tom and Jerry (Tom Sperlazzo and Jerry Ranita)...
To read the rest of the article, click here.
What Was Not Brought Up At The Last Union Meeting
It was October 1, five days before the ballots for International Teamster President were to be mailed out and about one month before Election Day November 7 . But were any of these topics brought up by the Executive Board? No. What was brought up appears to be the most important thing to our Executive Board: their RE-ELECTION!
To read the rest of the article, click here.
Halloween In Melville
A strange thing occurred at the Melville Facility the other day. The Local 804 Executive Board was outside campaigning on of all days...Halloween. How appropriate. They were all out there "dressed up" trick or treating as union officials.
To read the rest of the article, click here.
Feds To Supervise Local 804's Election
Why is the United States Department of Labor overseeing the "nomination and election for the position of President" of Local 804?
To read the rest of the article, click here.
Local 804's Contribution To The $100,000 Club
We know who the "union" is : it’s the rank-and-file. Then why do some think the Executive Board is the "union"? They are OUR representatives; they work for us. Right? Let’s take a look at how much we have paid them over their last 3 year term on the Board:
To view the salaries of the Executive Board, click here.
Executive Board's Favorite Charity
Local 804 members have voted against Hoffa in every election (67% in the last election in 2001). So why are our OFFICERS bankrolling the Hoffa Campaign?
To view our Executive Board's donations, click here.
The Case For Experience
The present Executive Board has plenty of experience...true. But what does it get us, really?
To read the rest of the article, click here.
Take Back Your Union
If you received the "804 News" Summer Issue sent to your house by the Executive Board, it began with "letter from the President" (Howard Redmond) in which he states "This is our country. It's time to Take It Back!". It's here we agree: our country is run by a small corporate elite who only have disdain for working families. But regarding our union and the rank-and-file of 804, I would respond: It's our union; its time to Take It Back!
To read the rest of the article, click here.
Home of Ron Carey Hosts Hoffa
Long Island City: Can you believe this: the man who was conspiring with UPS
during the 1997 strike, the man who 804 members voted overwhelmingly against in
1996, 1998, and 2001, who negotiated that "best contract ever" in 2002- is being
invited to Local 804's Labor Day Picnic IN THE HOUSE THAT RON CAREY BUILT!
To read the rest of the article, click here.
2006 Teamster Convention Report
June 26-30: Over 1800 Teamster delegates met in Las Vegas to
nominate the union's General President and General Executive Board as well as
vote on resolutions.
To read the rest of the article, click here.
Important Links
Visit TeamstersInformation.com
http://troublemakershandbook.org/