Dear Brothers and Sisters:I want to take this opportunity to let you know why your vote in the 2008 District Council election is crucial to both your future and the future of the NYCDC. It is clear from the Unity Team's actions over the past eight yearsthat they
have not
told the truth
about the 2001 contract negotiations and
have not represented the bestinterest
of the hard working carpenters who make up the majority of this union.The Unity Team sold-out the carpenters in the 2001 contract negotiations when they
"bargained away"
the jobreferral rules and gave the contractor what they wanted—The unfettered right to
"request"
anyone they wantfrom the out-of-work list! The Unity Team negotiated this shocking contract change without notifying or seekingthe approval of the 15-member negotiating team, the 88-member elected delegate body, the rank-and-file who were
expressly opposed
to the "contractor request" and the federal government who has oversight supervision.The Unity Team
violated their oath of office
and more importantly
betrayed the trust of the membership.
Our bylaws plainly state, the delegate body has final approval on all contracts. Yet your delegates
never voted
for this contract change. Why, because the Unity Team
stole the vote
from the delegates. It was not until September 2005, that we learned of this
unconscionable deceit.
The Unity Team has
misled and deceived you!
Thisdisastrous contract change has destroyed the job referral rules, turning it into an absurd paperwork dance, wherecarpenters are no longer dispatched on the basis of how long they are on the out-of-work-list!
The Unity Team's violation of office did not stop with our contracts. They permitted—even after being informed,the exploitation of carpenters by corrupt contractors, which were
notoriously known
as
"cash"
companies todefraud our welfare and pension funds out of
tens of millions of dollars for years!
In November of 2004 the Unity Team
obstructed an investigation
of
corrupt
district council employees
whowere destroying shop steward reports for
cash payoffs of over $150,000
by corrupt contractors who admittedthey conspired in a scheme to defraud our Union. Former Independent Investigator, Walter Mack was hindered(and later fired) in his ability to determine how and to what extent these contractors were able to avoid detectionof their routine CBA violations for such a long time.
To date the full extent of this corruption is unknown!
More recently, on February 20, 2007 after years of
costly
ligation, The Unity Team was found
GUILTY OFCONTEMPT
by the United States Court Of Appeals for
LYING
and violating provisions of the ConsentDecree, by
bargaining away the job referral rules
with the 2001 contract change!Even more recently, on August 11, 2008 citing continued corruption, Judge Charles S. Haight Jr. of FederalDistrict Court in Manhattan wrote, The Unity Team
“has not demonstrated they can combat corruption andadequately police themselves without further government involvement and court supervision."
The Unity Team has spent millions of
YOUR
hard earned dollars on lawyer fees, sucking the lifeblood from our treasury defending their corrupt actions. On their watch, council spending soared some 163 percent, from $19million in '99 to over $50 million this year!
Outrageous, It’s time we march on the council in protest!
To pay for this overspending the Unity Team has
TRIPLED
our assessments and supports plans (
BLUE CARD
)to take even more of
YOUR
hard earn money after the election.
Of course denying you a membership vote!
The Unity Team has cut
YOUR
pension benefit by an astounding
26%
as they increased their pension benefit!
JOHN MUSUMECI FOR DISTRICT COUNCIL VICE PRESIDENT
OHN MUSUMECI FOR DISTRICT COUNCIL VICE PRESIDENT
nycdistrictcouncil.blogspot.com
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