MAYBE WHAT YOU SHOULD REALLY BE EXPLAINING TO US IS WHY NOT ONLY HAVE YOU REFUSED TO BRING THESE CRIMINALS TO JUSTICE BUT WHY YOU HAVE HELPED THEM MAINTAIN THEIR CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES
IMPEDIMENTS TO UNION DEMOCRACY
HEARING
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE RELATIONS
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND
THE WORKFORCE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED FIFTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC, MAY 4, 1998
TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM B. RUGH, CARPENTERS FOR DEMOCRACY, UNITED BROTHERHOOD OF CARPENTERS & JOINERS OF AMERICA, RIDLEY PARK, PENNSYLVANIA
1998
Mr. Rugh. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, for giving us this opportunity to be heard. I am not only here to represent the Philadelphia Carpenters for Democracy, I also here representing other groups such as ours that have sprouted up across the United States and Canada that can't be here because of geographical reasons.
We are not here to protest against our local unions, we are not here to protest against our district councils, we are here to protest the hostile takeover of an international union from its members. This takeover was done by power and money-hungry politicians masquerading as union brothers.
The 500,000 plus members of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America were stripped of their voting and representation rights that we have had since its beginning in 1881.
We no longer have a say or a vote on the following issues: we no longer vote for the business agents that represent us every day; we no longer vote on secretary-treasurers and presidents of our councils that guide our business agents and organizers; we no longer vote on bylaws that govern our union; we no longer vote on negotiated contracts for our wages and fringe benefits; we no longer vote on any dues or assessment increases.
The right of a union member's vote is a check-valve to ensure that business reps and council leaders work for the best interests of the members that pay their salaries. These leaders are no longer accountable to the general membership. They are only accountable to the person who appoints them and signs their paycheck.
You ask how was this takeover done? It was done with bribes, intimidation, high-priced lawyers and legal loopholes. The bribes came in the way of substantial pay raises for our council and local leaders to offer no resistance. Their choices were to be fired and have their locals disbanded and their charters pulled. Our general president calls this "restructuring," even though they closed locals and councils that are completely solvent.
Another example of the bribes is in bought convention delegates and financing the expenses of others. Along with threats of blackballing and never working again, intimidation tactics were enforced by firing business agents and local officers, stopping elections, lawsuits and legal action against individual members, local unions and district councils. In other words, members' dues money was being used to pay the legal fees of high-priced lawyers to strip them of their rights as union members. Don't these figures add up to labor racketeering? We think so.
We were forced to accept this plan introduced by current UBC President Doug McCarron. He calls this new plan a "representative democracy." With this system we are now represented by delegates instead of making the choices ourselves, a system where one-third of these delegates are appointed. This gives absolute power to an executive secretary-treasurer of a regional council that is first appointed by Doug McCarron and then is elected by the delegate that he in turn appoints. Instead of having autonomous locals and district councils throughout the country, we now have small kingdoms.
Isn't there a saying that goes absolute power corrupts absolutely? In Philadelphia we have approximately 10,000 members. They are represented by 60 delegates. Out of these 60, 20 are appointed and another eight are on the council payroll. That means 28 out of 60 delegates draw their paychecks from the council.
As part of the restructuring, our work dues were doubled without a rank-and-file vote. In Philadelphia, our work dues were raised from 1-1/2 to 3 percent of our gross wages, and we did not have a say in the matter. Are we concerned where our dues money is going? Absolutely. Where do we turn for help? Within our organization, petitions were forwarded to the International.
In Oregon, 2,500 signatures were collected but were denied by our general executive board. In Detroit, 1,200 were collected, again denied. In Philadelphia, 1,100 were collected, again denied.
As you can see, it is not just a few disgruntled workers. A lot of the members that came down here with me today sacrificed a day's pay and the possibility of retaliation from our leadership, plus their employers.
The Labor Department tells us that it is illegal to raise dues without a referendum vote. They tell us it is illegal to have appointed delegates vote on a higher office, yet it is happening all across the country. After receiving complaints and protests from all across the United States, still they do nothing. We began to make appointments to see some of our local Congressmen, some of whom sit on this committee.
Even though this so-called plan is obviously wrong to the union member, we got little more than lip service from them. At least with this lack of representation, we can still vote on their performance.
No more in the Carpenters Union. When Peter J. McGuire first founded the International in 1881, it was to better serve the members across the country. It was not founded to be a corporation with personal financial goals. It was not formed to make bad real estate investments, as it did in the late 1980s, when our general president and executive board were involved in a real estate scandal which amounted to the loss of $125 million of our hard-working members' dues money.
The International was not founded to threaten, intimidate and take away the autonomy of solvent local unions and councils. They are meant to work for the members that pay their salaries by settling jurisdictional disputes and to lobby for better work-related legislation.
In Philadelphia, in 1981, the International came into our council to change the voting structure for our business agents and council leaders. After three days of hearings, where our members were allowed to come in and testify and voice their concerns on the past voting structure, their voices were heard and the International made changes that were necessary to guarantee a more democratic system for our members.
This is how an International represents its members. Our general secretary is also the chairman of a bank, the First Trade Union Bank of Boston, Massachusetts. Isn't this a conflict of interest? Our general president has announced that he has been elected to the board of Perini Corporation, also out of Massachusetts. The head of an international union on the board of an international construction company? Isn't this a conflict of interest? We believe it is.
In closing, I have a little something I wanted to read. It comes from somebody that had a lot to do with our history in the past. It goes like this:
"Give all the power to the many, and they will oppress the few. Give all the power to the few, and they will oppress the many. Both, therefore, ought to have power, that each may defend itself against the other."
That, by the way, was Alexander Hamilton.
1998
Mr. Rugh. Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, for giving us this opportunity to be heard. I am not only here to represent the Philadelphia Carpenters for Democracy, I also here representing other groups such as ours that have sprouted up across the United States and Canada that can't be here because of geographical reasons.
We are not here to protest against our local unions, we are not here to protest against our district councils, we are here to protest the hostile takeover of an international union from its members. This takeover was done by power and money-hungry politicians masquerading as union brothers.
The 500,000 plus members of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America were stripped of their voting and representation rights that we have had since its beginning in 1881.
We no longer have a say or a vote on the following issues: we no longer vote for the business agents that represent us every day; we no longer vote on secretary-treasurers and presidents of our councils that guide our business agents and organizers; we no longer vote on bylaws that govern our union; we no longer vote on negotiated contracts for our wages and fringe benefits; we no longer vote on any dues or assessment increases.
The right of a union member's vote is a check-valve to ensure that business reps and council leaders work for the best interests of the members that pay their salaries. These leaders are no longer accountable to the general membership. They are only accountable to the person who appoints them and signs their paycheck.
You ask how was this takeover done? It was done with bribes, intimidation, high-priced lawyers and legal loopholes. The bribes came in the way of substantial pay raises for our council and local leaders to offer no resistance. Their choices were to be fired and have their locals disbanded and their charters pulled. Our general president calls this "restructuring," even though they closed locals and councils that are completely solvent.
Another example of the bribes is in bought convention delegates and financing the expenses of others. Along with threats of blackballing and never working again, intimidation tactics were enforced by firing business agents and local officers, stopping elections, lawsuits and legal action against individual members, local unions and district councils. In other words, members' dues money was being used to pay the legal fees of high-priced lawyers to strip them of their rights as union members. Don't these figures add up to labor racketeering? We think so.
We were forced to accept this plan introduced by current UBC President Doug McCarron. He calls this new plan a "representative democracy." With this system we are now represented by delegates instead of making the choices ourselves, a system where one-third of these delegates are appointed. This gives absolute power to an executive secretary-treasurer of a regional council that is first appointed by Doug McCarron and then is elected by the delegate that he in turn appoints. Instead of having autonomous locals and district councils throughout the country, we now have small kingdoms.
Isn't there a saying that goes absolute power corrupts absolutely? In Philadelphia we have approximately 10,000 members. They are represented by 60 delegates. Out of these 60, 20 are appointed and another eight are on the council payroll. That means 28 out of 60 delegates draw their paychecks from the council.
As part of the restructuring, our work dues were doubled without a rank-and-file vote. In Philadelphia, our work dues were raised from 1-1/2 to 3 percent of our gross wages, and we did not have a say in the matter. Are we concerned where our dues money is going? Absolutely. Where do we turn for help? Within our organization, petitions were forwarded to the International.
In Oregon, 2,500 signatures were collected but were denied by our general executive board. In Detroit, 1,200 were collected, again denied. In Philadelphia, 1,100 were collected, again denied.
As you can see, it is not just a few disgruntled workers. A lot of the members that came down here with me today sacrificed a day's pay and the possibility of retaliation from our leadership, plus their employers.
The Labor Department tells us that it is illegal to raise dues without a referendum vote. They tell us it is illegal to have appointed delegates vote on a higher office, yet it is happening all across the country. After receiving complaints and protests from all across the United States, still they do nothing. We began to make appointments to see some of our local Congressmen, some of whom sit on this committee.
Even though this so-called plan is obviously wrong to the union member, we got little more than lip service from them. At least with this lack of representation, we can still vote on their performance.
No more in the Carpenters Union. When Peter J. McGuire first founded the International in 1881, it was to better serve the members across the country. It was not founded to be a corporation with personal financial goals. It was not formed to make bad real estate investments, as it did in the late 1980s, when our general president and executive board were involved in a real estate scandal which amounted to the loss of $125 million of our hard-working members' dues money.
The International was not founded to threaten, intimidate and take away the autonomy of solvent local unions and councils. They are meant to work for the members that pay their salaries by settling jurisdictional disputes and to lobby for better work-related legislation.
In Philadelphia, in 1981, the International came into our council to change the voting structure for our business agents and council leaders. After three days of hearings, where our members were allowed to come in and testify and voice their concerns on the past voting structure, their voices were heard and the International made changes that were necessary to guarantee a more democratic system for our members.
This is how an International represents its members. Our general secretary is also the chairman of a bank, the First Trade Union Bank of Boston, Massachusetts. Isn't this a conflict of interest? Our general president has announced that he has been elected to the board of Perini Corporation, also out of Massachusetts. The head of an international union on the board of an international construction company? Isn't this a conflict of interest? We believe it is.
In closing, I have a little something I wanted to read. It comes from somebody that had a lot to do with our history in the past. It goes like this:
"Give all the power to the many, and they will oppress the few. Give all the power to the few, and they will oppress the many. Both, therefore, ought to have power, that each may defend itself against the other."
That, by the way, was Alexander Hamilton.
A NEW YORK MEMBERS RECOLLECTION
I will always remember being at the 2000 Carpenter Convention in Chicago and hanging with Carpenters for a Democratic union. John Reiman was on trial for exercising his democratic rights. Tom Verdone was his barrister.
We were out front picketing the grand majestic hotel where Doug
Mccarron was staying. Ken Little, Tom Verdone, John Reiman , etc, we
were all there.
Suddenly Doug McCarron appeared in the lobby of the hotel. We
could see him with his body guards thru the glass revolving doors.. His
goons were video taping us from across the street.
Once Mccarron saw Bill Rugh and his two sons along with the rest of
us, he stopped like a deer in the headlights just before the revolving
door. And I clearly remember one of Bill Rugh's sons curling his finger
for McCarron to come out. McCarron, the coward that he is when facing
union democracy, did a 180 and went back into the hotel. He went out
another exit as far as we could ascertain.
NOW "COWARD" IS A STRONG WORD
HOW ABOUT GUTLESS,WIMP,SPINELESS,PRISON BITCH OR ONE OF MY FAVORITES
CHICKEN SHYTE
"Bribes, intimidation, high-priced lawyers and legal loopholes"
HEY FEDS.CAN YOU SAY PATTERN OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR
ONE THING I MIGHT ADD THAT BROTHER RUGH HAD NO WAY OF SEEING. OVER THE LAST 23 YEARS THE REAL OBJECT OF DIRTY DOUG MCCARRONS AFFECTION HAS REVEALED ITSELF
EXCLUDING THE FEW PHONY AND THEREFORE ILLEGAL TRUSTEESHIPS IMPOSED TO PUNISH THOSE WHO EXPOSE THE UBC CRIMINAL SYNDICATE SUCH AS MIKE MCCARRON AND JOHN BALLANTYNE.
EXCLUDING THE FEW PHONY AND THEREFORE ILLEGAL MERGERS TO PREVENT LEGALLY ELECTED MEMBERS FROM TAKING OFFICE SUCH AS PETE SAVAGE
ALL ILLEGAL ACTIONS THE DOL HAS NOT ONLY ALLOWED BUT HAS REFUSED TO INVESTIGATE
WHAT IS MCCARRON REALLY CONSOLIDATING.WHAT IS THIS CRIMINAL RAT REALLY AFTER
!!!BANK ACCOUNTS AND PENSION FUNDS!!!
MCCARRON IS CONSOLIDATING UBC FUNDS AND BANK ACCOUNTS THROUGHOUT THE UBC KINGDOM TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE UBC INTERNATIONAL TO CONTROL AND ROB
HOW MUCH MORE PROOF DO YOU WANT??
MCCARRON AND THE UBC INTERNATIONAL SPENT MILLIONS AND THREE YEARS SUING IN FEDERAL COURT DEMANDING TO ALLOW THE UBC TO SEAT AND REMOVE TRUSTEES ON INDIVIDUAL FUNDS AT THEIR DISCRETION
FUCHS - V- ALLEN FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT NORTHERN NY
27 comments:
I thank WILLIAM B. RUGH for his effort to fight the take over of the UBC by Doug McCarron and his Co-conspirators, Frank Spencer, Mike Capelli, etc. I will continue to fight the managers of this fake Union by myself or with help from other members. Though I know I’m not I’m alone in this effort. I also take pride in the fact that William was a member from Philadelphia. It’s been a long fight but I believe the tide is turning on Doug and his subordinates.
To you Council Reps who have betrayed your fellow members for a pay check, your day is coming, maybe not this year, but soon enough. How it went for the French after WWII who collaborated with the Nazis, so it will go for you!!! Save the excuses, no one cares and no believes you, because you prove your self to be an enemy of a free and Democratic Union every day you continue to work as a Council Employee.
billy rugh knew where this was going 25 years ago and he couldn't get the membership to care thanks for trying rugh we work with a bunch of grown men to afraid to stand up then and now!!!!
The average member is the UBC is no different than gone else in the world. The majority of people just go with herd which is most often to slaughter. Fortunately it only takes just one well informed member to stop the mismanagement of our Union. I’m one of those well informed members. We informed members working in Philadelphia have more tools to fight with today that William didn’t have then which include the rapid access to and sharing of information, ie, this blog. The UBC as Doug restructured it is dying because of the misdeeds of the primary engineer. You can run but you can’t hide from your misdeeds Dougy..... and that goes for the rest of you current Reps too..... your day is coming...... Now that said it’s Friday I’m June, enjoy the weekend!!!
hey I think willian b rugh is younger then doug macarron can a retired carpenter run aginst macarron lets go rugh if you were smart enough to se this thirty years ago you can run this place without stealing oue dues money right
If Dirty Doug McCarron can collect his pension and hold the Office of General President than William Rugh certainly can...
The former appointed delegates are running on a slate full of representatives that give out jobs here in Philly. The representatives successfully put their buddies in jobs that have influence over many members and their livelihood. They will then all vote for McCarren so they keep their jobs. Some guys decided not to run against the slate so they could keep their good gigs. Nothing will change here. There is nothing to see. Carpenters union business as usually. Let's keep decreasing our marketshare but I will make sure I get mine.
we all know how sprolles and the carpenters union stands with communitys so I was wondering billy goat sproles are mup credits being awarded for protesting?looting?and rioting seems like a fair question we offer them for everything becausre its a made up bullshit program from the new jersey scumbags we are stuck with that pose as leaders what a joke
No but if you help move a table or chair at the meeting we will credit you a MUP. If not you will be fined.
The Philadelphia representatives and delegates are responsible for bringing the MUP and MAP program, that now takes money directly from our checks, to Philadelphia. If we did not want it here, they were suppose to represent us and say no to their bosses. This is what real representatives and delegates do.
The local 158 scam artists united for THEIR JOBS slate led by no other than Hand and Hocker
The union really needs to stop the extortion of their members anyone with more then 5 years knows the carpenters union is nothing but a labor broker anymore we lost what this union was and the greed that bill SPROLES brings to this council will backfire the members are so over the union stigma anymore the pride is gone and members are fine going forward without them. Watch what you wish for. Sprolles you push to hard and it backfires it’s not good for anyone. Hey it’s about time for another merge bill Can you change our locals again. You know the game bill. Muddy the waters to try to coverup all of your misgivings. But it won’t work. The feds know your game. The clock is ticking it’s only a matter of time you Jersey rat
Thank you Roy Ernst for all that you have done to represent me and all the members. You are making change and it is members like you that give us hope. Thank you to the members that are running for election against a slate of representatives and their buddies. What you all are doing is how and why this union was started and you should be proud.
SPROLLES IS FOR THE DESTUCTION OF THE CARPENTERS UNION AS WE KNOW IT
The jersey rats need to go !!!! One down Two to go !!!!
It will only take 1 leader to step in that direction.
You are correct. We CAN move forward without them.
Look at what they are putting on the jobs. Who they are selling books to.
Then look at the quality of work thats in free fall!!!!!
Ed Coryell once said to me.
My job is to get you the best wages and benefits i can get.
Your job is to make sure you are worth it.
I would put 2 true union carpenters against anyone in a setting that required multiple skill sets. Notice i said true union carpenters.
Today we have " rockers" that cant set doors.
We have concrete clowns who cant install cabinets.
" finish guys" who cant lay out a concrete form"
Furniture guys who cant establish a control benchmark.
Scaffold guys who..... Well you get my point.
You are seeing provisionals because you are " specialty" task installers.
You arent carpenters any longer.
Your wages should be cut.
True Union Carpenters are people that can be dropped in any site to perform any task within our jurisdictions and then some.
We dont have many of us left.
Imagine. The knowledge and skill set needed and the tools... That is what commands the wage. Not some book buyer who can " install" premade whatever in a cubby hole.
Most of you... Over 90% of you ARE NOT competent UNION CARPENTERS. You are all in your niches.
And you wonder why we are being undercut and crushed?
Learn the frigging trade!!!
Good job Roy.
You and others ARE ACTUALLY true UNION members by holding the appointed scumbags accountable.
Any other member or " leader" who bad mouths you... They are the scumbags.
Think about that.
An assistant est of a union.
Engaged or encouraging actions and activities that steal, fraud, and hurt the union member body... Who views the member body that stand up and question ...an est who views those members as " trouble makers"
There is your problem.
It is absolutely unforgivable.
Bill Sproules
Mike Hand
james hocker.
Fat greedy pigs who live off of OUR labor.
For them to make statements that a member looking for accountability and protecting not only their union rights but god given constitutional rights..and they call us the scumbags?
Nothing else needs to be said....or.... A whole bunch of conversations DO NEED TO HAPPEN.
Sproules is ethically challenged.
Hand is a self serving , one way , backstabbing pos dressed up as a " good guy".
Hocker. Hocker is a trapped little boy with no where to go . so he will go along with whoever puts his cheese on the plate and cuts it up in little pieces so he can eat it. A Rat.
Considering the sources.
Right now there are illegal criminal activities associated with the UBC in 41 states.
The question is where can they hold the trials. There are so many moving parts and so many people involved.
The 3 aforementioned are like gnats on the rump of their democrat asses.
They play a role and will pay their price.
Document. Document. Document.
Paper trail. Digital footprints.
Keep up the noble work!!!
You have to send a letter via certified mail return receipt requested, to the GP, outlining the violations to the GC Delegate nominating and election process ASAP. This notice to the GP is step one, and starts the clock, he can respond or not, if he does you can appeal his response to the US DOL, OLMS. If he does not respond within the allotted time frame then you can got to the OLMS. The key is to complete step 1.
Anyone else notice the PEC dues deduction on your paycheck.
News flash.
If they took this dues deduction be aware that the ONLY way that they can take it is if you physically signed up for it.
It is a vouluntary deduction to give local political monies ( democrats) .
If you did not physically sign up and give your consent and signature on a specific form you are allowing the UBC to commit payroll theft.
Its about 9.80 a week.
Do the math.
Between this and the map fund they are getting the 500 dollars back because the mup program is going to be over ruled as extortion.
Now. Of course they will never tell you WHY the mups died.
It was because of members pursuing it and federal regulators saying ummm yeah this is extortion.
So they are stealing money from your check. The new guys coming in are being coerced into signing the cards.... Even though its voluntary ... As a precursor to joining.
This is racketeering Tommy Breslyn.
Shame on you for coercing and intimidating apprentices into signing a card under duress.
Tommy Breslyn. Do you know what duress means in contract law?
Tommy Breslyn and others ... Do you realize you can be sued as a rep in civil court as an independent actor without the umbrella of union cover.
Tommy Breslyn ... Why are you carrying a gun everyday.
Its not like you are working or visiting the neighborhoods we work in?
Tommy Breslyn , it would seem it is time for you to meet RICO.
PAC Contributions are 100% voluntary and any authorisation can be withdrawn at any time. If your not happy about how that PAC money is spent you can tell your employer to stop collecting it.
Im sure if Tom Breslyn was able to coerce and intimidate his secretary to have sex with him.... Intimidating and coercing an apprentice to sign a card is easy.
Both intimidations revolve around abuse of power to keep their jobs.
So william sproules. I thought we didnt tolerate this?
This is an indictment on the core leadership... Except for hocker because " he is just following orders as always" .
Hocker. If you lose this job you do realize you will never work in the construction industry again unless you move about 8 states away.
Even the non union are like... Umm no you are a scab.
Ya cant sell cars. One needs to be able to speak in full cogent sentences.
Hell. Wal Mart greeter is even out, as there needs to be some form of social skill.
You are basically fkd.
Only in the Carpenter Union with no skills or brains a representative can make $200,000 a year of other people's money and they have no say about it.
Do you retirees after reading any of these posts still think your pension is safe? Between the incompetence and criminal misdeeds your pension is as screwed as we working members are.
Im well aware of this.
This particular PEC deduction requires a form to be filled out specifically with your signature to have it deducted.
It wasnt. Yet it is deducted.
I understand pacs.
What im saying is this pec needs authorization BEFORE being taken out.
Multiple employer act of 2014.
Pensioners might want to read it. Just saying.
how is it even possible everycarpenter does not want to do mups being forced or else and there is only one guy filing charges against them
It is more than 1.
Ill explain at a future date.
I assure you it will make sense.
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