Historically the business of loading and unloading ships is a cost plus based industry. The more longshoremen employed the more money made, which is why stevedore companies (not owned by steamship companies) do not mind adding extra men when “forced” to by the Union.
According to a recent JOC article the hours paid to longshoremen in LA/LB is up 20%. That means the profits of the employers of longshoremen is also up 20%, which is why you do not hear the PMA complaining about not having a contract.
The union is also happy without a contract, their hours are up 20%, and casuals are working every day.
Neither side is talking about what they are doing.
At this point they must be sawing sawdust. There is not that much to talk about, and they have been dong so since May 12th.
Big Bob and his crew has shown they are willing to go over 2 years without a contract, based on the recently ratified PNW Grain Agreement.
Will the PMA member companies customers allow PMA to drag this out for the next 2 years, until the ACA tax on benefits kicks in?
Or, is the entire Transportation Industry going to cry all the way to the bank?
Thanks to Bobby Odor playing the tape at the membership meeting, then telling the members that his investigation concluded that Mark was not speaking to Vivian, and Mark Williams taking the mic right after Bobby and telling the membership he was talking to Vivian then claiming everything he said and did is ok because he is passionate; members have been signing her recall petition at an incredible rate.
It looks like Vivian will have her 20% in short order.
According to the Union Constitution 20% of the members “in good standing” need to sign a recall petition in order to trigger a recall election. Who counts the signatures and which signatures count is where, the real magic starts.
If you are considering signing Vivian’s petition, but have not, you need to before she submits her signatures.
Mark Williams and his crew created a new definition of “in good standing”, just for recall counts.
In order to vote a member “in good standing” just needs to have their dues paid up, but in order to sign a recall petition a member “in good standing” has to have their dues, fines, and assessments paid up.
As you can see from the letter Mark sent to Will Lundy, 231 members who signed did not get counted due to the new definition created just for recall petitions. Will Lundy – Recall denial letter 3-5-14
Vivian needs to get as many signatures as possible, then see that the recall signature count is witnessed by a couple of honest members she picks, because she can’t trust the lying, deceiving, corrupt Officers currently running Local 13.
Hopefully Vivian will get enough signatures to trigger a recall election.
Last night, at the Local 13 Union meeting, Bobby O Jr., (aka Bobby Odor, because everything he touches stinks of corruption), jumped out of the frying pan right into the fire, when he lied about what he claims he was told about what happened at last Thursday’s Executive Board meeting.
Right after Bobby told the membership that he was not at the meeting, he claimed that he listened to the tape and talked to several (unnamed) Executive Board members and he determined that Mark Williams was not directing his tirade toward Vivian, that he was directing his tirade toward the entire Executive Board, and that the members he talked to did not see any sexual gestures.
Unnamed witnesses seem to be popular with corrupt Local 13 Presidents who are also pathological liar’s.
Chris Viramontes used unnamed witnesses to get a TRO against Eric, then withdrew his petition rather than produce his alleged evidence, which included the video tape at the Local and the names of his unnamed witnesses.
Bobby O does not need to name his witnesses because, right after he was done telling his “story”, Mark got up and told everyone that he was indeed talking to Vivian and then tried to justify his behavior by claiming to be passionate when expressing himself. Interestingly, Mark did not deny making the jerking off gesture while he was talking to Vivian, he seems to think that claiming to be passionate excuses his sexually discriminatory behavior. He is wrong.
Bobby Odor, and his idiot buddy Mark Williams, also seem to think that behavior at “Union meetings” is not covered by the laws of the land, that what happens is secret, only covered by the Union’s Constitution and Bylaws, and “not relevant to a government agency or a court”. They are wrong.
Winning with deception and bluff only works when people sit silently and do nothing.
Vivian is not going to sit silently and do nothing, she is going to complain loudly, within the Union, first.
Thank you Vivian, you are not alone.
Thank you for doing what needs to be done.
Thank you for those who could not do it for themselves.
Thank you for keeping the spirit of Harry Bridges alive.
Bobby O and his crew played the tape of Mark Williams’ outrageous verbal assault against Vivian at last Thursday’s Executive Board meeting, then tried to say Mark was not talking to Vivian. He was just venting at no one in particular.
Right, if you believe that you probably believe that Chris invited Eric to go across the street into the alley to talk, because he did not want to upset the members by letting Eric yell at him inside the Local.
To date, Bobby O Jr. and his crew, have refused to play the video from July 3, 2013, which shows that Chris was lying like a rug about what happened in the Local that day.
Bobby O Jr. is trying a different tactic with Vivian. Play the tape then try and convince the members that they did not hear what they heard.
More pathetic posturing by the lying corrupt Local 13 Officers, who are more interested in protecting each other than doing the right thing.
Local 13 should be less concerned about how I get my information, and more concerned about what unelected non-official Chris Viramontes is doing negotiating Local 13 supplements.
On a more positive note, Eric Aldape was sworn in as Caucus Delegate and Vivian got around 600 signatures on her petition to recall Mark Williams.
It’s a brand new day, and the honest members of Local 13 have started to take their Local back.
You are going to want to see Bobby O Jr.’s response to Vivian’s complaint, against Mark Williams, related to the vicious sexual harassment that Mark directed at her during last Thursday’s Executive Board meeting.
Apparently not one of the Executive Board members who were still attending the meeting, did or said anything to Mark after his verbal assault against Vivian, which included his standing up and jerking off while asking her if that was what she thought he did all day.
If you want all the details, and are interested in watching Bobby O Jr. lie like a rug and try and cover for his buddy, fellow officer Mark Williams, then you will have to attend the Union meeting tonight, because it is a violation the oath to discuss what happens Union meetings.
Get there early and wear your hardhat, chairs may be flying.
