IT'S TIME FOR ANGER

The Unity Team sold-out the carpenters in the 2001 contract negotiations when they "bargained away" the job referral rules and gave the contractor what they wanted—The unfettered right to "request" anyone they want from the out-of-work list!

The Unity Team negotiated this shocking contract change without notifying or seeking the 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 had absolutely no constitutional authority to bargaining away the job referral rules.

They have abused their authority, violated their oath of office, violated the 1994 Consent Decree and more importantly violated the trust of the membership they claim to represent.

The NYCDC Bylaws plainly state, the "delegate body" has final approval on all contracts. Yet The Unity Team failed to seek consent and failed to disclose this disastrous contract change, to the elected delegates.

The theft of decision-making power from the elected delegate body that is charged with approving all contracts is unconscionable!

Bargaining away the job referral rules has given rise to the "contractor request" which has caused tremendous damage and corruption. The out-of-work list has been turned into an absurd paperwork dance, where "non-requested" carpenters languish on a phony out-of-work-list and the 50/50 rule as we had known it has been rendered meaningless.

The Unity Team now has the nerve to tell the thousands of "non-requested" carpenters that languish on this phony out-of-work list, to become a "certified worker" so that "you are the union carpenter contractors' request!" It's outrageous!

This "certified worker" nonsense is all showboating and posturing for judge Haight who is being deceived just like the rest of us on what is really going on.

This is not some political theory here—real people are getting hurt, lives are being dramatically affected.

The Unity Team should be held accountable for their abuse of power!

This phony out-of-work list system is a misnomer. This system should be explained clearly to the membership so that they do not operate under the misapprehension that the out-of-work list operates to dispatch people on the basis of how long they have been on the list or what certification’s you have.

In the Unity Team world anyone showing anger and passion is deemed to be "out of control." You must appear to be calm and cool. Sometimes calm and cool doesn't cut it. There is a time for anger. That time is now.

History Lesson 101:

December of 1999, as our council emerged from International supervision, The Unity Team, among other things, campaigns against the "contractor request" promising to eliminated if elected!

May of 2001, John Greaney, Local 608’s President/business manager mailed questionnaires to the Local’s membership to ascertain its views on issues relevant to the collective bargaining. Greaney learned through compiling data from completed questionnaires that the members wanted to “eliminate the contractor request”, Greaney then presented his membership’s “collective sentiment” to The Unity Team, but the change was not made.

June 2001, The Unity Team "bargained away" the job referral rules in the 2001 contract negotiations without notifying or seeking the approval of the 15-member negotiating team, the 88-member elected delegate body, the rank-and-file and the federal government who has oversight supervision.

November 5, 2004, former Independent Investigator, Walter Mack filed a report on the 50/50 Rule and Request System. Mack concluded that the “current request system reduces the out-of-work-list into a paperwork dance with little value to anyone but the contractors who can select the Carpenters they want to work for them.”

April 12, 2005, we learn for the VERY FIRST TIME, the disastrous 2001 contract change made by The Unity Team. Unity Team President Peter Thomassen, testifying before judge Haight (click to read testimony) about the 2001 contract negotiations said "we enhanced the request system for the contractors of the association". We gave them what they wanted—the unfettered "right to request" anyone they want from the out-of-work list.

July 2005, After learning the truth about the 2001 contract negotiations, a member of the 2001 negotiating committee commented "no one ever informed me about the change in the job referral rules, I was shocked to find out about it."

September 15, 2005, Federal prosecutors ask judge Haight to hold The Unity Team in contempt for changing the union's job referral system without government approval, arguing that the changes will encourage more corruption.

December 2005, As The Unity Team campaigns for re-election and as the truth about the 2001 contract becomes more know to the membership, The Unity Team promises to fix the job referral rules and address the "contractor request" issue.

February 20, 2007, after years of costly ligation, The Unity Team was found GUILTY OF CONTEMPT by the United States Court Of Appeals for violating provisions of the Consent Decree when they eviscerated the job referral rules with the 2001 contract change, which has encouraged job site corruption by "cash" contractors!

August 11, 2008, citing continued corruption, Judge Charles S. Haight Jr. of Federal District Court in Manhattan wrote, The Unity Team "has not demonstrated they can combat corruption and adequately police themselves without further government involvement and court supervision."

October 24, 2008, Federal District Judge Charles S. Haight has scheduled a hearing. The Court will hear oral arguments on the issue of remedy for the contempt charge against The Unity Team. Click for transcript of hearing

For more read Independent Investigator Walter Macks November 5, 2004 report about the 50/50 rule and the request system.

This is why you cannot trust anything The Unity Team says!