It's about time our paternal union succumbs to online voting. Voting online for contracts and officers will produce more participation. The present dinosauric method is mind boggling in today's changing world.
It's one of many things that the reform team wants to accomplish.
Our Platform &
A Letter from Jay Cronk
March 25, 2014
My fellow IAM Members, Buffy just doesn’t get it! From the onset we at IAM Reform have offered a clear vision of what’s wrong with our union today:
• Nepotism, cronyism
• Excessive spending for the benefit of a few at the great expense of us, the many. Ever escalating Executive Council salaries and expenses, per capita tax and dues rates that impose a real burden on today’s worker, our members
• The complete absence of democracy within our union, the suppression of our members’ collective voice and vote
• Substandard contracts negotiated and approved by inexperienced, inept representatives appointed through cronyism
• Appointees whose interests’ conflict with the members they are appointed to represent
• The awarding of high paying, critical staff positions to family and friends who are not even members of the IAM.
These abuses of power under Buffenbarger serve as a repudiation of the commitment, service and sacrifice thousands of IAM Local and District Lodge officers, our members, selflessly make for the betterment of our union, our communities, and our members every day.
Buffenbarger’s focus during this election solely on personal smears against myself and the veteran union leaders whom I’m proud to call my fellow Reform candidates shows he has absolutely no plan or vision to change. His unabashed culture of privilege for the few at the great expense of the many is not in line with the principles of trade unionism and must be rooted out if we, as an organization, are to thrive and prosper.
We at IAM Reform offer a vision for moving our great union forward:
• Reigning in the lavish and exorbitant salaries of our Executive Council, reducing its unwieldy, unnecessary size.
• Reducing the burden of our high priced per capita tax and dues rates. Bringing fairness back to the dues structure for all members, and opening up our union for the growth through organizing those current per capita tax and dues rates have precluded us from accomplishing.
• Introducing a new concept to the highest levels of our union; democracy and free and fair elections at all levels of this organization. Another new concept, electronic voting, will enable all members to participate in the most important decisions we as a membership need to make.
• And of more importance than most realize, we will bring transparency to the financial dealings of this organization and those who are charged with leading it.
Please see our full Platform below.
Buffy refuses to debate the issues, Buffy refuses to even discuss the issues or his vision. He’s hoping to distract members from all of the abuse, excess and failure he and his cronies have heaped on us as members. This historic campaign is far too important to be lost in lies and smears and fictional caricatures of me and the other Reform candidates.
This election impacts the goals and aspirations of our entire membership who now, for the first time in our lives, have the opportunity to decide what that vision will be and who will lead us in achieving it. This is a choice they cannot take from us.
We have an opportunity denied to thousands and thousands of IAM members who came before us, let’s make democracy work for all of us.
No IAM President or Executive Council member has ever served beyond their 65th birthday. Tom Buffenbarger and Robert Roach will both turn 65 next year and both have already announced their retirement. This is how they’ve always rigged the game, you’re really not electing Buffy or Roach, a vote for either is a vote for the unknown! A vote for Buffy or Roach is tacit approval of their game of cronyism and nepotism, and will allow them to appoint their successors and once again deny you the right to decide the direction of our organization and who will lead it.
We at IAM Reform are all in, our lives are an open book, and our platform, our vision for our collective future remains clear. We ask that you learn the facts, read the truth and share the vision of what our union could be. We ask for your support, your vote in April’s election and we ask that you help us spread our message and our vision and encourage all IAM members to participate in this historic and monumental election in April. Attend your April lodge meeting or request an absentee ballot and vote for change, vote for reform, vote for a future of more promise, pride and integrity for our union.
In Solidarity,
Jay Cronk
Book #AK014715 Local Lodge 1112
IAM member since 1975
Candidate for International President
