New Team Hits the Ground Running. We'll look back on this day in our Union's History and know...The Members WON!

Business Manager: Oscar De La Torre

Secretary-Treasurer: Dave George

President: Doyle Radford

Vice President: Dave Gorgas
Executive Board Members:

Harry Harris, Sam Robinson, Bruce Rust
Sergeant at Arms: Ken Lusby
Auditors:

Anthony Dimas, Wilbert Lucas, Victor Parra

Decision Time! Courageous Labor Leaders ALWAYS Stand Against Injustice. Moreno Turns his Back on the Workers! Will YOU???

An Open Letter to All NCDCL Delegates from Brother Don Payne.

August 19, 2009
Dear Delegate:
I'm the former Business Manager & Assistant Business Manager of the Northern California District Council of Laborers. Many of you know me. You have a very important decision to make this week which will affect the lives of thousands of Active & Retired Laborers in Northern California. Three candidates are running for Business Manager of the District Council.
How anyone could vote for Jose Moreno and then look their members in the eye would be beyond me. Moreno has shown you his total lack of worth for the last 8 years and now it becomes clear that he has never cared about our members. I will not dwell about the harm & shame he has brought on California Laborers Local Unions and its membership by his lack of attendance to the Standards Board (OSHSB) Emergency meeting, you know the disgraceful details….he shouldn’t receive any votes.
And now we have Cedric Porter out of the blue to announce his candidacy. Would he have announced if not for Moreno’s recent blunder, the answer is no. The fact is that Cedric Porter is not qualified. Porter has no management skills. He offered me his vote in exchange for the Assistant Business Manager position last election. I said NO! Isn't this asking you to sell your vote. He wasn‘t qualified then and he certainly is not now. Do you really want to go through more “ON THE JOB TRAINING,“? Wasn’t Moreno enough for you??? Moreno & Porter, two peas in a pod who could care less about anyone other than themselves. If it were not for you dedicated Local Union Business Managers & Agents, the members would have nothing.
Oscar De La Torre has managed Local 261 well. He was instrumental in assisting Local 261 through the worst financial crisis in its history. His negotiation skills are well rounded. Contractors feel that he is tough but fair & honest. He has now stepped up to the plate to take on Moreno & Porter, two men who would rather sneak behind your back then say hello. Before voting ask yourself one question, “Which of these candidates has shown that he really cares about the Union and its members”? The answer should be clear……
OSCAR DE LA TORRE…..I ask that you Vote for him, you will not regret it.

Sincerely,
DON PAYNE, Retired Member

Entire Community disgusted! Capitol Weekly: Absences at Cal-OSHA Standards Board cause problems

"One has no choice but to ask if the missing Mr. Moreno actually cares. Missing a meeting where an emergency situation existed is symptomatic of the missing Mr. Moreno. It was not as if he could have misunderstood the importance of this particular meeting. The entire community was hanging on its outcome. The situation is no longer tolerable by anyone concerned."
Reprinted from:
Capitol Weekly: Absences at Cal-OSHA Standards Board cause problems

Shared via AddThis

Black Eye for the Laborers!: California's Governor Under pressure to Remove the Disgraced Moreno. "Could happen any Day Now!"

What a disgrace! Hardworking tax payer money being spent for one clearly proper purpose, to be rid of Jose Moreno forever. Do our members know that they have come full circle? Do they even realize that their blood and sweat results in an obvious effort to eliminate this man from ANY official role? It is simply unbelievable! We are all under the microscope...Let's get it right this time, eight years of embarassing, humiliating failure is way too much!!! If we don't kick him out now, we have only ourselves to blame.

Current Business Manager's hopes lie on us continuing to make the same mistakes... Forgetting Why We're Here!!!

CRITICAL ISSUE #10
CONFLICT
YOUR WORD VS. OUR OATH
BROTHERS:
OUR CURRENT BUSINESS MANAGER HAS NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL AT MUCH, BUT HE HAS MANAGED TO GET SOME "COMMITMENTS" EARLY ON IN THIS ELECTION PROCESS. SOMETIMES EARLY COMMITMENTS ARE MORE ABOUT WHO THE INCUMBENT IS, WHO'S "CONNECTED," OR WHO SEEMS LIKELY TO WIN IN THE END THOUGH, IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO SIMPLY WHAT IS BEST FOR US, OUR COUNCIL, OUR UNION, AND OUR MEMBERS WHO COUNT ON US!
I GAVE MY WORD...
WE HAVE ALL GIVEN OUR “WORD” AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER. ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO COUNT ON IT MOST! ALL OF YOU IN ONE-WAY OR ANOTHER GIVE YOUR WORD EVERYDAY TO THE MEMBERS OF YOUR LOCAL UNION TO DO THE BEST JOB POSSIBLE, TO DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO MAKE THINGS BETTER FOR THEM. THE PROBLEM IS YOU MAY HAVE GIVEN YOUR WORD TO JOSE MORENO (FOR WHATEVER REASON,) THAT YOU WOULD HELP HIM TO HIS THIRD TERM.
THE OATH
WE ALL TOOK THE OATH. I TOOK IT, AND TAKE IT SERIOUSLY. MANY OF YOU HAVE ALREADY SAID THAT YOU AGREE WITH ME THAT THE CURRENT BUSINESS MANAGER DOES NOT. DO YOU? IF THE CURRENT BUSINESS MANAGER DOES NOT TAKE THE OATH SERIOUSLY, (FOSTER HARMONY, OR UNITE US ALL,) THEN, ON ELECTION DAY, WE ALL HAVE A CHOICE:
- PICK THE OATH OF OFFICE AND VOTE TO UNITE OUR COUNCIL, OR, KEEP YOUR WORD TO MORENO, EVEN IF IT MEANS BREAKING THE OATH AND YOUR PROMISE TO YOUR MEMBERSHIP.
NOT A TOUGH CALL, WHEN CONSIDERING THAT ONLY AN UNHONORABLE MAN WOULD EXPECT YOU TO KEEP YOUR WORD TO HIM UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES!
THE "SECRET" BALLOT
OUR COUNCIL'S SAVING GRACE MAY BE THE LONG-STANDING PRACTICE OF THE SECRET BALLOT HE COULD NOT CHANGE! HE KNEW THIS TO BE TRUE, WHICH IS WHY HE CALLED SPECIAL MEETINGS LATE LAST MONTH FOR PURPOSES OF LINING UP THE VOTES TO MANIPULATE THIS ELECTION. HE DID NOT CALL EVERYONE ON THE BOARD, JUST THOSE HE CONSIDERS HIS SUPPORTERS TO DO A REHEARSAL OF THE VOTE. (MORENO ACTUALLY FLIP-FLOPPED ON THE ISSUE LESS THAN 24 HOURS LATER BECAUSE HE GOT WORD THAT THERE WOULD BE A SECRET BALLOT NO MATTER WHAT! ) SO, HE WILL NOT KNOW (BUT EACH OF US WILL) WHETHER WE ACTUALLY PRACTICED OUR OATH AND, IN THE END STOOD FOR A UNITED COUNCIL AND A MANDATE TO BRING BACK HONOR AND PUT THE MEMBERS FIRST, OR SIMPLY KEPT YOUR WORD TO A MAN WHO BROKE HIS TO ALL OF US, OUR UNION, AND OUR PROUD MEMBERSHIP!
WHEN YOU ELECT ME, SUCH "CONFLICTS" WILL BE A THING OF THE PAST JUST LIKE “REHEARSAL” MEETINGS, MANIPULATIONS, SCARE TACTICS AND THE SYSTEMATIC SUPPRESSION OF ANY DISSENT! OUR CONSTITUTION WILL BE OUR LAW, OUR OATH WILL BE OUR PROMISE, OUR MEMBERSHIP WILL BE OUR MOTIVATION OUR MANDATE WILL FINALLY BE CLEAR...A UNIFIED NCDCL WORKING TOGETHER FOR OUR MEMBERSHIP AND OUR GREAT UNION!

REAL BUSINESS, REAL COMMITMENT, REAL UNITY!
HTTP://UNITETHENCDCL.BLOGSPOT.COM

Third Candidate signals that Change is in the Air! Oscar offers a leadership plan of teamwork and collective effort to Unite the Council!

NCDCL Number Two & Oscar De La Torre Agree...Moreno Must Go!

NCDCL ELECTION UPDATE:
FACTS ON MORENO VERIFIED AGAIN!
NCDCL Assistant Business Manager Cedric Porter Declares candidacy against his Boss Jose Moreno! Today, with 13 days to go, Brother Porter officially "jumped in" to the NCDCL race for the Business Manager position for the next four years. In what must be humiliating and embarrassing to current BM Moreno, Porter virtually verifies and agrees with every single point that De La Torre has made over the past year about our need for change and new leadership at the Council starting with the allegation that he (Jose) does not show up and fails routinely to report anything to the delegates! This all coming from Moreno's INNER CIRCLE!

"What does Moreno do with his time? I don't know."
Cedric Porter, NCDCL Asst. Business Manager

While claiming that for the past 4 1/2 years he's "frustrated with Jose Moreno, and that it has been difficult to work for (him) while he's leading us to extinction," Porter alleges that without change on August 21, 2009..."WE WILL NOT SURVIVE!"
In a familiar tone, consistent with what Oscar has been informing the delegates for the past several months, Porter specifically offers as a member of Jose's inner circle that "he is unwilling to change course, unwilling to listen, and (simply) ignores the crisis we're in!"
Porter kicked off on his own web page by utilizing the You Tube Video Service. He spoke at length about the encouragement that he has received from "friends, colleagues, and the delegates." He made it clear that he has "lived through the problems of the District Council (and furthermore that) We can't wait another day, we do deserve better! He was also highly critical of the current Business Manger's inability or unwillingness to maintain important relationships claiming (as did De La Torre,) that Moreno "builds relationships only with money managers," that "Moreno has no proper response to ANY of the issues we face," and finally that "IT'S TIME TO STOP THE SHIP FROM SINKING!"

Oscar De La Torre added that "I have great admiration and respect for Cedric Porter, and realize that he has been treated like a flunky by Moreno! It's just not right, but that is how we have allowed Moreno to operate. It is rewarding to hear that he (Cedric) and I agree on about ninety percent of the issues raised in this campaign. Unfortunately, we do not see eye to eye on the future of this Council. In the end, it won't be about Jose, Oscar, or even Cedric - it will be about US and who gives us the BEST chance at Uniting this Council!"

Ooops! International Union Vice President Jose Moreno is Exposed! INCOMPETENT & Missing In Action!

Brothers: It is my sincere hope that through this campaign, we have been all talking about the issues that will define us over the next four years. While the current Business Manager has said that he’s taking the "high road" in this important process, the truth is he will likely wait to the very end to engage at all because he simply can’t defend his weak record/reputation through dialogue or debate.

What a Shame!Clearly, he has been both incompetent and ineffective not because he is unintelligent, but because he lacks commitment and motivation sufficient to put forth any real effort at all. For years, I (like many of you,) had held out hope that this would change, while it’s only gotten worse as our District Council and our membership suffer as a result!
As I saw that he was failing all of us on so many fronts, I tried to straighten our course on many of them (Organizing, Training, Healthcare, Pension, etc.) because it was my responsibility to speak out as opposed to silently consent. At this point, for doing my job I became one of his targets! We can’t continue, and must change course, Elect me and together we’ll Unite our Council and put our members first!

Ooops! International Union Vice President Jose Moreno is Exposed!
We can't Afford Four More Years of His
INCOMPETENCE!
And: HIS "HIGH ROAD" IS REALLY THE "NO ROAD!"

We all know that the incumbent Business Manager is claiming that he is taking the "high road." In fact, he is, and has always taken the "No Road." No plan, no excuse, no justification, no commitment, no effort, AND no respect for the affiliates or our membership. Even in his fight for his job, he REALLY thinks we expect little if anything from such a highly compensated "laborer." He’s "all in" and he bets that we will continue doing business for him as usual agreeing to everything he says and expecting little if any results FOR OUR MEMBERSHIP!
ISN’T IT DISRESPECTFUL TO ALL OF US FOR HIM TO THINK THAT HE DOESN’T EVEN NEED TO CAMPAIGN ON THE ISSUES? HE KNOWS SO LONG AS WE’RE DIVIDED, AND HE CAN GET 51%, WE’RE ASSURED OF FOUR MORE YEARS of HEADING DOWNHILL AND FAST!
In addition to the many, many other issues such as his failed newsletters, broken promises to cross train or manage staff, failure to explain the building fund, complete lack of understanding of the bargaining procedures and options, and disgraceful public behavior,
HE ROUTINELY VIOLATES OUR CONSTITUTION & BLOWS OFF NEGOTIATIONS BECAUSE HE THINKS WE’RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION OR WORSE, THAT WE DON’T CARE TOO!
IUC Article II Section 1 (e) He Violated! He is required to "Advance Skills and Working knowledge" of workers through apprenticeship.
IUC Article II Section 1 (h) He Violated! "Promote harmony with other Organizations" A complete pass he takes on PG&E discussions with IBEW 1245.
IUC Article II Section 1 (i) He Violated! "Strive for programs to increase employment" Failed to put a regional plan together and works against the Locals.
IUC Article II Section 1 (l) He Violated! "Political Education" (Latino Caucus) he can’t even set an agenda let alone educate or register voters.
UDCC Article II Section F (1) He Violated! "Protect and conserve the jurisdiction" Jose can’t Organize!
UDCC Article II Section 1 (b, c, d,) Violated! Violated! Violated! "To promote Unity...(among us!)" "To coordinate activity with affiliate Locals..." "Fostering Harmony and united action between affiliates." He is a divider and Violator!

If you Elect me, I Promise that:

OUR CONSTITUTION WILL BE OUR LAW, OUR MEMBERSHIP WILL BE OUR MOTIVATION, AND OUR OATH WILL BE OUR PROMISE!

Please join the Unity Campaign, Bring back HONOR, and put our members first!

Cal-OSHA Reporter Editorial: The Missing Mr. Moreno Must Move "The situation is no longer tolerable by anyone concerned." - State of California

Delegates: READ this!!!
Cal-OSHA Reporter Editorial
The Missing Mr. Moreno Must Move
California’s Cal/OSH Standards Board members work without pay, volunteering their time to advance the cause of occupational safety and health in California. Most of them spend countless personal hours poring over rulemaking records to understand the issues and prepare for votes or public hearings. Active board members participate in sometimes mind-numbing variance hearings and intelligently deal with many other issues and tasks crucial to the safety and health of California’s workers.
So what happens when a board member consistently fails to show up? The entire safety and health community found again out not long ago when one member – one of two labor members – one Jose Moreno – one who has failed to attend most of board meetings since his appointment — was missing again. The missing Mr. Moreno would have been the tie breaking vote on an emergency heat illness regulation, which was not adopted because of the tie.
The Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) was turned back in its attempt in June to enact emergency revisions to General Industry Safety Orders §3395, regarding heat illness regulations. The board invited the Division back with revisions narrowing provisions to those DOSH believed were truly of an emergency nature.
The emergency proposal ultimately failed because of the 3-3 tie. Moreno, notably, also was absent for the June vote too.
The facts speak for themselves: Mr. Moreno, according to official records, has been a consistent no-show at board meetings since he was first appointed in 2002. A review of Standards Board attendance records from fiscal-year 2006 through fiscal-year 2008 shows that Mr. Moreno was absent from board meetings 75% of the time, attending only nine meetings but missing 27. Moreno was similarly missing during his first term.
By virtue of comparison, during the same period, board chair John MacLeod and occupational health representative Dr. Jonathan Frisch missed only four meetings. More recently appointed members Bill Jackson, Jack Kastorff and Willie Washington also have good attendance records, missing very few meetings.
The occasional absence of a board member does not adversely affect Standards Board business. But the consistent absence makes it not only impossible for the Board to function properly but impossible for the missing member to understand with institutional knowledge and perspective what the underlying issues really are. One has no choice but to ask if the missing Mr. Moreno actually cares.
Missing a meeting where an emergency situation existed is symptomatic of the missing Mr. Moreno. It was not as if he could have misunderstood the importance of this particular meeting. The entire community was hanging on its outcome.
The situation is no longer tolerable by anyone concerned.
What’s worse, as the missing Mr. Moreno might understand, heat illness is an issue of particular interest to labor. Yes labor representative Mr. Moreno was absent for a vote on a topic critical to labor. It is an issue towards which other labor related individuals have been working hard for some time.
The people of California, the Cal/OSH Standards Board, and California’s workers and employers deserve a member who cares enough to be a full participant.
After fellow labor representative Steve Rank resigned from the board earlier this year to accept another gubernatorial appointment, Mr. Moreno’s attendance briefly picked up. But it is obvious to the community that the missing Mr. Moreno quickly reverted to type after the appointment of Guy Prescott to the other labor seat.
It is clear to Cal-OSHA Reporter and to the occupational safety and health community that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger needs to quickly replace the missing Mr. Moreno with someone who cares what happens to California’s workers and employers.
And this time let’s hope there is a commitment in advance that the new member can and will devote the time necessary to board business
ALL FACTS! CLICK BELOW FOR ORIGINAL ARTICLE- JULY 30, 2009!
http://www.cal-osha.com/articles/COR00-20090730-005.html

NCDCL Business: Complete Loss of Control & Meltdown!

NCDCL ELECTION UPDATE:
TOTAL MELTDOWN!

BROTHERS: OUR CURRENT BUSINESS MANAGER IS SPINNING OUT OF CONTROL & STRUGGLING TO FIND HIS WAY. HE IS PLEADING WITH DELEGATES AND MAKING PROMISES HE CAN’T KEEP IN AN EFFORT TO GET YET, ANOTHER CHANCE TO DO NOTHING BUT SIT BACK AND WATCH!
FACT – SPECIAL MEETING FOR POLITICS
BEFORE THE LAST DELEGATE MEETING JOSE MORENO CALLED A MEETING AT THE COUNCIL DURING BUSINESS HOURS (FOR “SUPPORTERS” ONLY) BECAUSE HE WANTED BADLY TO CHANGE OUR LONG-STANDING PRACTICE OF SECRET BALLOT ELECTION TO AN “OPEN VOTE” IN ORDER TO EXPOSE INDIVIDUALS FOR FUTURE RETALIATION! IN AN ABSOLUTE BACKFIRE AND COMPLETE FLIP-FLOP, HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO MAKE A MOTION TO HAVE A SECRET BALLOT BECAUSE HE LEARNED SOMEHOW THAT NO MATTER WHAT, HE WOULD NOT BE SUCCESSFUL. WE ALL KNOW THAT HE SHOULD BE CALLING EMERGENCY MEETINGS TO DISCUSS THE MASTER AGREEMENT NEGOTIATIONS WHICH WE ALL AGREED SHOULD BE INITIATED AT LEAST 18 MOS IN ADVANCE OF EXPIRATION (WE’RE BEHIND MORENO’S 8-BALL ONCE AGAIN AS THE AGREEMENT EXPIRES IN ABOUT 11 MONTHS,) WHILE HE’S DONE NOTHING BUT POLITICS FOR HIMSELF.
FACT – NCDCL NEGOTIATIONS INITIATED AT LOCAL 304
WHILE MORENO POLITICS FOR HIS LIFE, ALL OF A SUDDEN LOCAL 304 INITIATES A *MEMBERSHIP ACTION RELATED TO OUR MASTER AGREEMENT DESPITE THE FACT THAT OUR CONSTITUTION SETS FORTH THE PROCEDURES FOR DOING SO! IN A VAGUE COMMUNICATION, SENT TO ALL OF US, THE LOCAL APPEARS TO BE KICKING-OFF CONTRACT TALKS FOR THE COUNCIL WITH SCARE TACTICS IN ITS’ “SOME EMPLOYERS” FLYER WHICH THREATENS TO CHANGE THE PENSION TO A 401K & ELIMINATE DEPENDANT HEALTHCARE. THIS “WILDCAT” EFFORT IS A CLEAR INDICATION OF MORENO’S COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL, LACK OF RESPECT FOR THE BUSINESS MANAGERS, AFFILIATES, AND COUNCIL, AND LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE CONSTITUTION RELATED TO BARGAINING. SHAME ON HIM FOR STANDING BY, SCARING THE MEMBERS, IGNORING THE CONSTITUTION, AND JEOPARDIZING OUR PROBABLE UNITED FRONT ON PREPARATION AND NEGOTIATIONS! ALL IN ALL, A COMPLETE BREAKDOWN!
ONCE YOU ELECT ME, WE WILL BE FINALLY RID OF ALL OF THE RHETORIC AND THE GAME PLAYING! I WILL WORK HARD AND MAKE SURE WE LAYOUT A WELL-PREPARED PLAN TO KEEP US TOGETHER AND PROTECT US FROM LOOKING FOOLISH FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS. I KNOW THAT WE’RE FED UP WITH THESE TACTICS AND AS TRUE LABORERS, ARE READY TO SHOW THE JOKERS TO THE DOOR! LET’S BE STRONG AND UNITE FOR THE GOOD OF THE MEMBERS WE SERVE!
• Local 261 will support Local 304’s “membership action” as we can not use them in this campaign! JOIN THE NCDCL UNITY CAMPAIGN! HTTP://UNITETHENCDCL.BLOGSPOT.COM