Protecting Our Jurisdiction and Growing our Great Union is not an Option, It's an Obligation!

CRITICAL ISSUE #5
ORGANIZE OR DIE!
BROTHERS:
OUR CURRENT BUSINESS MANAGER HAS BEEN A FAILURE AT PROTECTING OUR JURISDICTION AND IN ORGANIZING TO GROW OUR GREAT UNION AS HE IS REQUIRED TO DO! HE HAS NO IDEA WHERE TO BEGIN IN TERMS OF SETTING AN AGENDA OR GAINING AFFILIATE SUPPORT FOR ORGANIZING OR FOR CAPITALIZING ON ANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE COUNCIL. IN SHORT, FOR HIM, IT’S JUST TOO DIFFICULT AND TOO MUCH WORK!

MISSED OPPORTUNITY – OUR LiUNA! CONVENTION DECISION
AT THE LAST INTERNATIONAL UNION CONVENTION WE ALL MADE THE DECISION HOWEVER CONTROVERSIAL, TO ADMIT THAT IT WAS NECESSARY AND CRITICAL TO OUR EXISTENCE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE ORGANIZING FUND IN THE AMOUNT OF .25c/HR. MANY OF US HAD NO IDEA HOW THE CONTRIBUTION WAS TO BE MADE (ULTIMATELY, IT WAS TAKEN FROM THE MEMBERS’ VACATION CHECKS.) ALL OF THE BUSINESS MANAGERS WERE THEN EXPECTED TO EXPLAIN TO THE MEMBERS WHAT THE CONTRIBUTION WAS ALL ABOUT AND WHY IT WAS JUSTIFIED.
NO PLAN, NO PLAY, NO NOTHING
FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS, OUR LEADER FAILED TO DO HIS JOB AND SIMPLY LEAD THIS IMPORTANT EFFORT! HE HAD NO PLAN DESPITE GETTING MANY IDEAS FROM THE AFFILIATES. A LOT OF US BELIEVED HIS TRUE MOTIVATION WAS TO SIMPLY HIRE AS MANY PEOPLE AS HE COULD REGARDLESS OF THEIR QUALIFICATIONS OR EXPERIENCE TO ENTRENCH HIM IN HIS POSITION FOREVER THROUGH DIVISION AND INEFFECTIVENESS. AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, THE INTERNATIONAL UNION APPEARED TO SENSE THIS INEVITABILITY AND TOOK POSSESSION OF THE ORGANIZING DEPARTMENT. WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT IT WAS NOT WHAT THE INTERNATIONAL UNION HAD ORIGINALLY SET OUT TO DO!
A COMPLETE FAILURE & FORFEITURE!!!
EVENTUALLY, THE DECISION WAS MADE THAT THE REGIONAL OFFICE BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FUND AND THE ORGANIZING PROGRAM…DESPITE ITS’ BEST EFFORTS AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL. WE OWE IT TO OUR MEMBERS WHO PAY INTO THE FUND TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN HOW IT’S BENEFITING THEM IN THE LONG RUN WITH INCREASED HOURS AND JOB OPPORTUNITIES. OUR CURRENT LEADER SIMPLY LACKS THE COMMITMENT AND MOTIVATION TO MAKE IT HAPPEN OR EVEN SUBMIT SUCH PROPOSALS ON OUR BEHALF BECAUSE HE DOES NOT REPRESENT THE MEMBERS MAKING THE CONTRIBUTION.

WHEN ELECTED, I WILL COORDINATE ORGANIZING EFFORTS AND URGE A REGIONAL PLAN THAT MAKES SENSE IN ALL AREAS THAT WE COVER. I WILL PROPOSE THAT WE FORM A COMMITTEE FOR WORKING TOWARDS AN ORGANIZING DEPARTMENT AND EFFORT THAT TRULY IS EFFECTIVE IN ALL AREAS AND THAT THE AFFILIATES SUPPORT (ANY APPROACH WILL NOT WORK UNLESS WE HAVE “BUY-IN” FROM ALL OF THE AFFILIATES TO ENSURE THAT THE EFFORT IS LEGITIMATE, FAIR, AND EFFECTIVE, NOT JUST FOR HIRING CRONIES.)
JUST LIKE OUR PENSION AND OUR HEALTH-CARE, ORGANIZING IS ABOUT OUR FUTURE…IT’S JUST THAT SIMPLE! WE NEED SOMEONE WHO CARES ABOUT OUR UNION AND OUR MEMBERSHIP LONG AFTER HIS OWN RETIREMENT DATE.
JOIN THE NCDCL UNITY CAMPAIGN!

(pictured: Oscar with Labor Leader/SFPUC Commissioner FX Crowley who oversees 4.4 billion Hetch-Hetchy Water Project, during EFCA Event in SF. As sweeping changes and reforms take shape, we need a leader who understands that we need to confront such challenges head on in order to be ready to put our plan into place!)

At the Halfway point of the "Unite the NCDCL" Campaign, Oscar De La Torre Commits to Communicate to Delegates via Video Messaging.

Auto-Pilot is just not enough for our Membership on Pension and Healthcare in such an Uncertain Climate!

CRITICAL ISSUE #4
SECURITY ?

BROTHERS:
OUR CURRENT BUSINESS MANAGER HAS BEEN A FAILURE AT PROTECTING THE BENEFITS OF OUR MEMBERSHIP. HE'S NOT INTERESTED IN PLANNING, STRATEGIZING, OR INFORMING ANY OF US OF ANY PLAN, PROGRAM, OR VISION TO GUARD AND PROTECT THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKERS ON EITHER THE PENSION OR HEALTHCARE. IN SHORT, WITH HIS OWN PERSONAL FUTURE SECURE AND NO REAL CONCERN FOR ANYONE ELSE’S HE’LL MOVE FORWARD…BUSINESS AS USUAL WITH HIS DIVIDE AND CONQUER POLITICS.

DISGRACEFUL DEALINGS - ON OUR HEALTHCARE
EARLIER THIS YEAR, WHEN WE WERE CONFRONTED WITH INCREASED HEALTHCARE COSTS TO THE TRUST FUND, RATHER THAN BEING PROACTIVE TO PROTECT THE MEMBERS’ RIGHT TO CONTINUE ON WITH THEIR CURRENT PHYSICIANS, HE DELEGATED TO A THIRD PARTY. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, OUR THIRD-PARTY-DESIGNEE-STAND-IN FOR OUR LEADER NOTIFIED US THAT THEY WERE UNSUCCESSFUL (PERHAPS UNMOTIVATED BECAUSE THEY DO NOT REPRESENT OUR MEMBERSHIP…WE DO!) WHEN IT BECAME CLEAR THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO PROTECT OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH KAISER WHO WOULD MAINTAIN PARITY (FOR THE MEMBERS WE SERVE,) OUR LEADER WAS MORE INTERESTED IN SERVING HIS OWN PERSONAL POLITICAL OBJECTIVES OF NOT GIVING THE IMPRESSION OF “PISSING BACKWARDS” THAN HE WAS IN SERVING THIS MEMBERSHIP WHO NEEDED HIM TO SIMPLY DO THE RIGHT THING! NOW HE CLAIMS THE FUND IS SAVING HUGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY. WHAT HE DOES NOT ADMIT, IS THAT OUR MEMBERS HAVE NOT FOUND NEW DOCTORS YET AND BECAUSE OF HIM ARE PUTTING OFF CRITICAL CARE AND MEDICAL ATTENTION THEY NEED AND WORK FOR WHICH MAKES THE FUND LOOK ARTIFICIALLY FLUSH.
PASSIVE ASSENT - ON OUR RETIREMENT
SPOONFED FOR YEARS BY THE MONEY MANAGERS, OUR LEADER HAS CONTINUED TO OVERSEE A BLEEDING OUT OF OUR MEMBERS’ MOST PRECIOUS ASSET…THEIR PENSIONS. HE USES APPOINTMENTS TO THESE CRITICAL BOARDS AS HIS OWN POLITICAL “CHESS GAME.” HOW MUCH LONGER CAN WE AFFORD TO LOOK OUR MEMBERS IN THE FACE AND SAY “YES, WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PROTECT YOUR HEALTHCARE AND YOUR PENSION.” WHEN WE KNOWINGLY SUBSCRIBE TO SUCH INADEQUACY AND INDIFFERENCE AT THE TOP?

WHEN ELECTED, I WILL NOT DELEGATE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF PROTECTING OUR MEMBERS’ HEALTHCARE CHOICES. I WILL ANSWER TO THE AFFILIATES ON HEALTHCARE AND PENSION ISSUES BY APPOINTING A WORKING COMMITTEE FROM US ALL TO ADDRESS PROPOSALS AND IDEAS FOR PURPOSES OF MAKING SURE THAT EVERY BUSINESS MANAGER AND DELEGATE KNOWS THAT NO STONE IS BEING LEFT UNTURNED SO THAT WHEN THEY TELL THE MEMBERS THAT “WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN,” IT WON’T JUST BE WORDS IT WILL FINALLY BE THE TRUTH! I ENVISION A NEW SYSTEM WHERE MONEY MANAGERS ARE COMPETING WITH ONE ANOTHER FOR OUR PENSION ASSETS AND BASED ON PERFORMANCE ALONE, GAIN A GREATER SHARE. THE TRUTH IS, WITHOUT A CHANGE NOW THERE WILL BE NO END IN SIGHT AND OUR FUTURE AND OUR MEMBERS’ FUTURES ARE IN DIRE NEED OF DRAMATIC CHANGE HERE AT THE COUNCIL!

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