Checking it Out said:
Dan Cunningham and Bob Owens deserved what they received. The trials were done per the Constitution and the results were the same. The majority of the TWU members were getting tired of these self interest elected officers advocating the withdrawl from the TWU while collecting Pay from the Union.
If either one of them had any morals or ethics they would have taken it apon themselfs and done the honorable thing and resigned. But it is obvious neither have the caliber it takes to do the honorable thing so the Constitution was enforced.
We the majority of the TWU favored this avenue. The International did the right thing. No different than amfa or any other organization.
I'd like to add a few comments.
If in fact the trial was done per the Constitution then that in itself is another reason why we must get rid of the TWU.
Who ever heard of allowing the accuser to pick the Prosecutor, Judge and Jury? Well that’s what Sonny did. He picked three of his SUBORDINATES to render judgment. Well under those conditions, commonly referred to as a "Kangaroo Court" once Sonny accuses they are automatically guilty. The fact is that the prosecution proved nothing. When I questioned Hubert Snead about his verdict he lied and stumbled all over himself. If you would like a copy of the transcripts let me know. “I gots to say you never said merge, oh no, you never did says mergeâ€. (It’s in the transcript dummy.)
Normally the accused have the right to face their accuser. But Sonny was too much of a coward to face either one of us. He is a disgrace. We were denied this common right. Another example that proves that in the TWU, justice and jurus prudence, common traits to Democracy does not exist. And why should they? The TWU is no more Democratic than the old politburo of the old USSR. Roger Tausts influence no doubt. The fact that Sonny lacked the courage to come to me face to face in his own Kangaroo court and say, "This is what you did" shows that he is a man of no character, no morals and no ethics.
The pay that I collected was from Local 562 not from the International. The members of Local 562 elected me and I did what they wanted me to do. That is what a representative is supposed to do. We are not there to suck up to Hall in order to try and get an International spot like Burchette, Gless and Yingst.
When you say "we the majority of the TWU" who do you mean? Tulsa? Are you saying that since you are the majority that you have the right to have other local’s representatives removed? Besides Local 514 is not the majority of the TWU, you guys are not even close to being as big as Local 100 who has nearly as many members as the entire ATD. You guys are really full of yourselves, or is it selfs?
The fact is I was never confident in the ability of the TWU/ATD; so I did what people like you used to say- don’t complain, get involved". I learned a lot, and what I saw only made my perception worse. It only made me more determined to try and fix this union. That’s why I hooked up with Local 100. They were a shining example of what an industrial union should be.
I made it clear from the beginning that I advocated change. After twenty years of decline something has to be done.
Its clear that the TWU/ATD and Sonny Hall could care less about our, or any other member’s wages or our careers, they just want to keep the dues flowing. They need the dues to pay their excessive salaries and outrageous perks. You should have seen that worm Sonny squirm as I looked at his luxurious office on Broadway. $9 from every member so he can act like some executive of a fortune 500 company. (Oh by the way every member is invited up to the office on Thanksgiving to watch the parade, Sonny said so) Then there are the cars, another $3.45 per member. They are the most corrupt, ineffective organization in labor. And it all centers around the biggest crook of them all, Sonny Hall.
Wherever you go in this industry you will find that the lowest paid union members are TWU. From AA mechanics, to eagle mechanics to SWA flight attendants, Swissport and Worldwide baggage handlers the list goes on. The TWU gives labor awards to management officials that call the police on the local if their reps go on the property. The TWU has retirement parties for their top officials with more members of management in attendance, some actually crying to see the guy retire, than union members-Koziatek. They promote those who are incompetent and cant get reelected-Gless. The TWU will ruthlessly fight other unions but submit to every whim of the employer. They write language that they have no intention on enforcing-Charlotte, force majeure, or change when the company wants them to-3/1/01 system seniority. They even allow management officials to remain members of the IAC! So they will bounce out officers who they suspect are supporting another union, without proof but allow management to remain on the IEC! Goes to show you that they look at other unions as the enemy but management as brothers.
Sonny Hall has tried to sabotage every move that Local 100 has made to get better benefits, wages and working conditions for their members. Under Sonny Halls leadership at Local 100 the members lost ground in wages and valuable benefits. Sonny has never seen a concession he did not like. Under his direction benefits are negotiated away so he can get a kickback from the insurance company by selling you the benefits he negotiated away. He sold property of the Local at grossly undervalued prices which are then flipped for millions more within weeks, do you think any of that helped pay for his estate in exclusive Sag Harbor Long Island (Singer Billy Joel also lives there)? Who knows how much he pockets on the turnover in cars, they spent $345,000 on cars but only sold, if I remember, $20,000 worth, if it was that much.
So now I am no longer in a position to push for change from within. So I will push for change from the outside. I will help to get AMFA on the property, but I will not desert the stock clerks and other workers, I will help out with the AGW drive too.
When we are successful at getting AMFA and the AGW we will also help fix the TWU. By leaving with over 1/3 of the membership Local 100 will be the majority. They will flush all the crooks and incompetents out of the International. They will be able to make it Democratic and accountable.
Since the idea of merging the AFL-CIO ATDs will never happen, even though Sonny Hall, John Sweeney, and every union person I've spoken to claimed they liked the idea that leaves me only one course to try and get as close as possible to the same result. As one rep from the AFL-CIO even agreed, in order to fix this mess we will have to leave the TWU, IAM and IBT and then try to either merge or form a co-op, then rejoin the AFL-CIO.
The fact is that the labor movement has needed this for a long time. As Thomas Jefferson said, "A little (not to be confused with Jim Little) revolution is a good thing now and then". Many unions are nearly as bad as the TWU where top officials, no matter how incompetent they are, are only usually removed from office by death or indictment. Conventions are a sham. Union officials seek office not out of ideals but as means of escaping the floor. Once off the floor the next goal is either the International or management. How many times have you seen that?
You say that I have no Morals or ethics, as compared to whom? Dennis Burchette who beats his wife and sleeps with friend’s wives and girlfriends-fine example of TWU morals and ethics. Gless is pretty much the same, and what is with that $105,000 a year secretary that follows Sonny around all over the country? I've never seen his wife but I've seen her all over the place, even in pictures in the TWU express. Is she paid that much because of her typing skills? $105,000 PER YEAR!!!
I would like to say to all my fellow mechanics out there, especially in the line stations where just about everyone has already filled out an AMFA card to go to the AGW website at
http://www.the-agw.org/american.html, print up authorization cards and tell anyone you know in Stores and Fleet service about it. Do it because it’s the right thing to do. Do it because we allowed the TWU to turn us against each other, and as a result we both lost. Do it because when we get to AMFA it cant hurt to have friends in other departments. Do it just to cause more agita for the International. Do it because it opens up a second front and will pull resources away from fighting AMFA. Do it because although we want accountability and control over our careers we wish no harm to other working people and harm is what the TWU/ATD will continue to do to them and their families. The effort would be minimal on our part, the effect could be revolutionary!
