Was kind of bummed about the recent Local 13 election results until I found out that, due to a bunch of Executive Board members being elected to other paying positions, the next in line from the last election will be elevated to fill the vacated seats.
If you were wondering why the current Local 13 Officials were looking kind of forclempt on Friday, it was because they already knew that, the hardest working man on the waterfront (other than James Brown of course), Eric Aldape, is back on the Executive Board.
Bobby’s latest PR move is to write to the Executive Director of both the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach to complain about a rumor that 2 PMA companies were fined and suspended from membership in PMA, for breaking one of the Employer’s club rules.
What does Bobby expect to get from writing to the Ports? Does he even know that they are not members of the club, and have no say in anything PMA does.
Is Bobby trying to protect his buddies at PASHA? The ones that ghost payroll his mother’s babysitters?
Why did Bobby lie about getting approval from the Publicity Committee to hire his new PR buddy?
He claims they approved his request at the December 31, 2014 meeting. Problem is they did not attend, because they were not told about the meeting.
This is kinda like the E-Board meeting where his transfer was approved, even though there is nothing in the minutes to indicate his request was sponsored or approved.
All the noise Bobby makes is not going to change the fact that he and Frank caused all the “PMA night shift” problems when they instituted their 8.51 program to only dispatch “certified” drivers.
PMA will find it amusing that Bobby is so willing to protest something he thinks is happening to PASHA, when he did nothing to to protest his member, Eric, getting 2 years off work for a cartoon after they said there was no violation of the contact.
How about another letter to Macy’s, it will have the same effect as your letter to the Ports?
Usually when the parties enter into mediation both sides agree to cool the rhetoric, and enter into a cooling off period.
Bobby O announced at last nights Union meeting that Local 13 has hired a PR firm and the Local is going to respond to the negative things being said in the press.
Bobby kicked his program off by plagiarizing an article on mediation written by JOC writer Joseph Bonney (twitter.com/josephbonney) and putting it out as his work product in Bulletin #01-15.
Next, he posted a new high quality video on Local 13’s website ilwu13.com that attempts to accuse PMA of deception.
The video shows docks that are not working, cranes and hoisting equipment that are idle, and plays music that made me feel like I should cry. I actually started to feel sorry for PMA.
Bobby, we all know that the PMA stopped working at night. We also know it was because of your cutting jobs under your 8.51 plan.
What do you think you are proving to “the public”, other than you are stupid, not a team player, and you hire PR guys that know nothing about the industry, as evidenced by his “letter” to Macy’s?
Bobby, in case your PR guy did not tell you, the newspapers that have been writing stuff you did not like, the guys you plan to set straight, are on the Employers side, not the Union side. They will tear you apart.
Bobby, you need to stop all this self serving nonsense and get with the team. Time to shut up and follow Big Bob’s lead, he is calling the shots. You need to support Big Bob and your negotiating team.
Mark Williams claims that Union Officers in a Union meeting can say anything they want to other Officers, with impunity.
Mark, Mondo, and Bobby claim the laws of the land do not apply in Union meetings, because that is the way it has always been.
Sadly, Mark Williams is right, because no one is going to challenge him or the Union.
Mark Williams is already bragging that they beat Vivian down, and she has dropped her recall petition related to him mimicking masturbating while calling her names during the September 25th Executive Board Meeting.
Can ILWU Officers really say anything they want to other ILWU Officers, including women?
Looks like when Local 13 President Bobby O Jr. is not putting his mother’s babysitters on ghost payrolls he is writing more of his lies and publishing them in the form of a Bulletin.
Bobby you do not get to unilaterally decide to stop dispatching qualified crane drivers to 100 jobs per day, then claim PMA is cutting orders.
The Employers offered to go back to 2 men per transtainer, in order to get qualified crane drivers, but Bobby said no, not until there is a contract.
What even makes this more ironic is that Bobby O was never crane trained, he just had one of his daddy’s buddies at PMA add it to his card.
Bobby O has lied about every aspect of his education, his military service, and his transfer to Local 13. Now he is peddling his latest lies about why the Port is congested.
If you believe anything in Local 13’s latest bulletin, I have a bridge I’d like to sell you.
Local 13’s (Bobby’s) decision to only dispatch certified crane drivers, to drive equipment designated as longshore cranes, is hurting the PMA as well as his own hall men.
Granted, there is no contract right now, but the contract dispatch rules and practices are still in effect and according to Section 14.7 of the Agreement, “Competent longshoremen shall be provided for crane work in accordance with Section 9.3.” PCLCD Sections 14.7 – 14.8
According to Section 9.3; “Competent men with adequate experience or training shall be made available for all tools and equipment to be operated by longshoremen.” PCLCD Section 9
The decision to only allow “certified” crane drivers take crane rated jobs not only hurts the PMA, it slams the hall men who are both competent and experienced and denies them the work they have been doing for years.
There is no excuse for refusing to allow hall men to fill the jobs they have always filled. The Union has a obligation to supply longshoremen and members have a right to choose any skilled job they are qualified for.
As regards the 6 for 5, or 6 crane drivers for 5 transtainers, the language that allows that is contained in Section 14.813 and has been part of the PCLCD since the original Crane Supplement from 1962. CLRC #19-62 – Original Crane Supplement – 8-10-62 (See Section 7.13)
The employers have been ordering 2 men per transtainer since at least 1974 according to SC-95-74 10-24-74.
In CLRC #25-79 11-9-79, item 6, the Committee approved the Employer’ request that the Paceco transtainers used my Matson in Los Angeles be designated “longshore cranes” in accordance with Section 14.21 of the PCLCD, and since then the employers have ordered 2 men per transtainer.
However, Section 14.813 has been in the contract since 1962, and according to Coast Arbitrator Sam Kagel, sleeping on your rights does not abrogate them, so the Employers decided to exercise their right to order 6 crane drivers for each 5 transtainers.
I do agree that eventually the employers will probably go back to ordering 2 men per transtainer, but Local 13 really needs to reconsider the decision to only dispatch “certified” crane drivers to crane jobs, it’s hurting the hall men and the Union.
The honorable Mike Dimon held court again last night at the Local 13 Grievance Committee meeting, only this time things did not go exactly as he planned.
The meeting started out with the run of the mill chiseling complaints, like the first time offender who added 6 hours to a flop that he did not need to. No one tapped his shoulder and pointed out his error, so Larry, the self appointed chisel patrol, made a note, said nothing, waited till the end of the month, and wrote him up for a $6,000 chiseling complaint.
Grievance Committee Chairman, Mike Dimon, and Attorney of Facts, Jonathan Lamborn, laid down the law and said they were going to assess him a $500 fine and told him that he can let the rest of the $6.000 sit and after 5 years it will be forgiven. This is how they help members and enforce the dispatch rules.
In one fell swoop, Mike and Jonathan make $500 for the Local and create another member with unpaid fines and assessments. Another member who cannot sign a recall petition, or double out, or travel, or transfer, or train on equipment, or run for elected positions, but who can vote as a member in good standing as long as his dues are paid.
What happened to helping members, especially first time offenders?
When did the union change from helping members, to bullying members?
To protect the innocent, I cannot write about what other fun and games were played at last nights meeting until after they are finished.
However, what I can say is, a lot of lip service was given to “due process” and democracy, which worked out well for one member who got their grievance held over so the evidence could be played at the next meeting.
If I were a member of Local 13, I would attend the next Grievance Committee meeting because it will be very interesting.
Angelo “The Greek” Anikos has been elected Business Agent 2 times, but he is not part of the clique that has controlled Local 13 for the last 20 years, and he was posing a threat to run for President so Bobby O Jr. and his crew decided to take him out, by using the Trial Committee.
On August 5, 2014, Bobby filed a charge against Angelo Andrikos, accusing him of “conduct and offense detrimental to the Local and unionism in general” “that involved abuse and misuse of his position as Relief Business Agent by seeking to obtain personal gains from the employers in the form of compensation and work hours for services not performed,” and he claimed that Angelo did it “no less than fourteen times.” Bobby O’s 8-5-14 Charge against Angelo
Angelo did not misuse his position to force the Employers to compensate him for compensation for work hours for services not performed, he put his name in along with others for in-lieu-of payments and/or lost work opportunity claims related to Employer violations of the PCLCD. No Employer complaints were filed related to any of the payments.
Angelo did not decide to do what he did on his own, he was doing the same thing other Business Agents were doing and what he was taught to do by other Business Agents. It may seem inappropriate to some, but there are no rules governing the assignment of in-lieu-of’s and no one told him it was forbiden.
According to the documents, Bobby claims the practice started in the middle of June and stopped after a meeting Angelo, Bobby and Mark Williams had with the Local’s lawyers, who explained it was not a recommended practice. The lawyers also recommended doing nothing, other than stopping, and Mark agreed, but Bobby had other plans.
Bobby wanted to eliminate Angelo from the competition for the position of President and set out to demonize him, then use the Trial Committee to bar him from running for Office.
Bobby did not once tell Angelo that he should stop, or that there was anything wrong with what he was doing, instead he stood by and watched and waited for Angelo to do it 14 times, then wrote him up for conduct detrimental to the Union. How do you watch a guy do something 14 times, say nothing, then bring him up on charges?
In fact on May 28, 2014, Bobby used his position as Local 13 President and called company 740, Pasha steel dock, and got his Superintendent friend who used to live across the street to put both “The Greek” and “Scary Jerry” on the payroll, for ghost lashing jobs, bypassing the Dispatch Hall, in complete violation of the dispatch rules, in exchange for watching his mom while they all attended a luncheon at City Hall.
Bobby’s August 5th Charge requests “election” of a Trail Committee.
Local 13’s Constitution states a Trial Committee will be elected at the Union meeting right after the Charge has been read by the Secretary/Treasurer. Local 13 Trial Committee Constitutional Procedure
At the meeting 26 members signed up, one of them an Executive Board member, even though Mike Plante was told he could not sign up because he is on the E-Board. One member got so excited, he signed up twice.
Instead of electing the Trial Committee in accordance with the Constitution and the agreed to Trial Committee Guidelines, Mark decided to draw names out of a hat with a Local 13 secretary, in secret. No witnesses. In secret.
It’s a miracle, all of Bobby’s boys got picked including Executive Board member Mike Diamon and Grievance Committee member Jonathan Lamborn, who ended up as Trial Committee Chair. Angelo’s Trial Commitee Cite letter 9-8-14
When Angelo questioned the way the committee was selected, and questioned the inclusion of union officials despite the past practice of excluding officials in favor of regular members, he was told everything was done correctly and the Trial Committee was proceeding.
When Angelo questioned what Local 13 Union rule, or Constitution rule, he had violated and why wasn’t he given a letter from the Attorney of Fact, in accordance with Trial Committee Guideline item 6, which requires specific notice of ALL the relevant sections of the Constitution allegedly violated, he was told everything was done correctly and the Trial Committee was proceeding. Local 13 Trial Committee Procedure
When Angelo pointed out that the Local had only informed him one day before the hearing that they did not cite witnesses, and he asked for additional time to cite his witnesses, he was denied and told that the Trial Committee was proceeding.
When Angelo explained that he was under the influence of prescription medication, unable to answer questions, and asked to reschedule the hearing, he was denied and told that the Trial Committee was proceeding.
After Angelo left the hearing feeling ill, the Trial Committee proceeded to find him guilty as charged, fined him $6,000 and told him he is barred from running for Union Office for 13 years.
13 Years? Really? How do you come up with 13 years?
11-15-14 OK – Checked it out. According to Section 504 of the LMRDA, if a person is convicted in court of certain crimes they are barred from holding union office for 13 years.
Convicted after a real trial in a real court, not a kangaroo court using the what ever they feel like rules.
By the way, the OLMS also prohibits individuals who knowingly make false statements of material facts or fail to disclose material facts in any labor organization report required by the LMRDA, like the LM-2, from holding union office for 13 years, Mark Williams.
Interesting that the guy running the Trial Committee procedure that barred Angelo from holding office for 13 years, is the guy who knowingly filed false LM-2 reports required by the LMRDA.
Who knows, when the DOL is done with their investigation, Mark Williams might be the guy who gets barred from union office for 13 years.
Yesterday, PMA issued their 2nd News Release regarding the work safely slow down program implemented by the ILWU last week.
It is very serious, except for the part they refer to their industry arbitrators as “independent”. Two x-PMA employees and two ILWU members, are not independent, no matter what PMA claims.
PMA has, however, set the stage for their next move by claiming the actions of the union are adversely affecting the Commerce of the United States.
PMA is now set to pull the trigger on another lock-out and Taft-Hartley intervention by the government. Do you remember 2002?
PMA has made it clear, if the Union does not stop their slow down/work safely program and resume “normal” operations, the contract negotiations will be severely adversely affected.
For those who do not understand Employer speak that means, if the Union does not make nice and get back to normal production, the shit will hit the fan, i.e. LOCKOUT.
Last night in front of a packed house at the Local 13 Union meeting, Bobby O Jr. told the membership that they know what they are doing, they have 70 years of experience, and everything will ok.
At the best attended Union meeting of the year, there was no discussion of bringing the steady men back to the hall, and there was no discussion of returning to normal operations.
The message to the rank-and-file was to keep on doing what you are doing, it is working.
Right, it is working so well that yesterday several vessels working in the Port of Tacoma fired their ship gangs at 10 am.
If the Union keeps doing what they are doing they will be locked out, it is just a matter of when.
