THE BURNING EMBER 3

HIS MOTTO--FULL TIME PAY;PART TIME PERFORMANCE

Well Bullfrog still believes he does not have to perform his constitutional duties in order to be paid. The Local Constitution requires him to be at specific meetings and to conduct those meetings. However, after fleeing from the 10 Jan 08 Executive Board meeting, more in this issue about that, he failed to appear for any meetings on Sunday 13 Jan 08. He was supposed to have called a Constitution Committee meeting for 2pm on that day, but failed to do so. He did not bother to show up for the training that was conducted at the local office that was given by one of out National Business Agents. He was a no show for the Executive Council meeting and in keeping with his “missing in action” style he failed to show at the General Membership Meeting. He now has missed two of three meetings that he is required to attend. Officers are only allowed to miss six per year in order to get paid. I suppose he figures he can miss as many as he wants and still get paid. Well a local member exercised his rights and filed charges. Now the local Executive Board is taking action to protect the local. I heard that there is going to be a trial on charges brought against him for his missing more than six meetings last year. I also heard that there was going to be a hearing for his failure to follow the directives of the Membership Meeting for his failure to call a Constitution Committee meeting. The trial is to be held in early February, ask your steward for the date and time. I hope that the trial will put an end to his dereliction of his duties. I think it will be very interesting. Now as to what happened at the Executive Board meeting.

As I said in a previous issue of the Burning Ember, a long time member had asked for some help from the local in finding out what management was doing at the AMF. The Clerk Craft Director scheduled a meeting with management for December 4th to discuss the changes at the AMF. When the Clerk Craft director e-mailed the Bullfrog to notify him of the meeting, the Bullfrog then took it upon himself to cancel that meeting, saying he would meet when he was ready. Since then he has not rescheduled the meeting. The last Executive Board meeting was the first chance to question the Bullfrog about that and some other issues. The Bullfrog though when questioned about his actions decided that it was getting a bit too warm and he again bolted from the meeting before it was concluded. It seems that the Bullfrog thinks he does not have to follow the local constitution, but that he does not have to be accountable for failing to do so. Cut and run seems to method of handling problems.

Makes you wonder how he handles things with management. E-mail him and ask him at:
orbulldog1@verizon.net or gstin29803@aol.com

If all of this bothers you, remember there are only about 195 more days until we get a new president.

THE BURNING EMBER 2

WHAT HAS HE DONE TO YOU

There are some more things that you might want to know. Before I get to those, let me say, I was quite surprised by some of the responses that I heard on the workroom floor about the first “Burning Ember.” It seems that some members were unaware of what the Bullfrog has and has not been doing. Though one person posted a copy of it on a bulletin board, they scribbled some childish ranting and name-calling on it, but they never addressed the issues and points that were raised, so typical of our Local President and his few supporters. What was funny is that even though they complained of the anonymity of the author of the “Burning Ember” they did not sign their name to the paper and as far as anyone knows, our Local President still seems to be missing. Being missing or not acting however seems to be typical of his behavior.

As many of you know, our local was placed into trusteeship. This is when the National APWU takes over a local. Our not so esteemed Local President brought this action down on the Local; it seems he did not like the membership changing the local constitution shortening the length of terms of the local officers from three to two years. I guess he wants to remain the “MIA President” for one more year and getting paid for not working. Well he told National all about how the membership changed the constitution and he begged them to place the Local into trusteeship; something other Local Union Presidents would never have done. Now before National places a Local into trusteeship the have to follow the rules set down by the National Constitution and Federal Law. One of those procedures is a hearing. That is were the Local is given the opportunity to defend itself. Our Local President however decided not to meet his constitutional duty.

At the hearing, held in October, when the National Hearing Officer asked the Bullfrog if he had anything to say, he declined. So the Bullfrog, who is supposed to be the spokesperson for the Local just sat there throughout the hearing doing nothing but scribbling on a notepad. He just sat there and said nothing; he did not speak a word in or lift a finger to defend the rights of the members of the Local as the spokesperson for the local is suppose to do. Since the Bullfrog failed to fulfill his office and responsibility it fell to the Local Vice President to speak for and defend the Local. Other members stood and spoke their minds and hearts and though I do not necessarily agree with all of their points of view I applaud their courage. Now, you might ask what the Bullfrog’s motivation was for not speaking; my only guess was selfishness. Based upon brief conversations with the Bullfrog it is clear to me that he was hoping that all of the Local Officers would be removed so that he would have free reign to run the Local into the ground. Fortunately, through the efforts of other Local Officers the trusteeship was short lived and the Local was left intact.

Makes one wonder how much longer we can keep a president who would sell out the local for his own selfishness. Maybe you might want to e-mail him and ask him. He can be reached at:
orbulldog1@verizon.net or gstin29803@aol.com

THE BURNING EMBER 1

HAVE YOU SEEN YOUR LOCAL PRESIDENT?

It seems that the APWU Portland Area APWU Local President, who shall be referred to as the Bullfrog, since he croaks a lot and dives for cover when he sees trouble, has decided that he can do as he pleases. A far as anyone knows, since he bolted from the November 18th General Membership meeting well before the meeting was finished, he has only appeared at the Local office twice; both times only to pick up his check. This was after he ran away from the Executive Board meeting on November 15th. As a note, the Local President is required, under our Local Constitution, not only to attend both of these meetings, but to conduct them as well. We should have known something was afoot when the Bullfrog attempted to get the Local Vice-President to chair the meeting before the meeting started. It was not surprising then, after his leaving the e-board meeting two days previous, that during a break to count an important vote at the Membership meeting that he abandoned his duties again and left without telling anyone. It seems he thinks that he can hold the office, collect the pay, and not perform his duties. Even in his absence though, he does manages to continue to harm the local.

At that Membership meeting, a long time member stood up and spoke about the changes that management is making at the AMF. This member asked for some help, in response the Clerk Craft Director scheduled a meeting with management for December 4th to discuss the changes at the AMF. When the Clerk Craft director e-mailed the Bullfrog to notify him of the meeting, the Bullfrog then took it upon himself to cancel that meeting, saying he would meet when he was ready. Since then he has not rescheduled the meeting and now the changes are upon us without any meetings with management leaving our members in the dark and unrepresented. All of this happened without the Bullfrog even showing up at the office. The Bullfrog reportedly told some people that he would return to the office on the 24th or 26th of December, yet as far as anyone knows he has failed to return to the office. He still however collected his check. I suppose that if he had check-to-bank, he probably would not show at all. He has continued to be absent even from a special e-board meeting in December. That would not be so bad if he would not ignore the directives of the Membership Meeting.

The General Membership Meeting is the highest governing body of the local. It is the ultimate voice and the Local President is bound to follow the directives of that body. It seems that the Bullfrog thinks he is above the members and can do as he pleases. At the November Membership Meeting, the members tasked the Constitution Committee to meet and report to the membership on a constitutional issue. That issue being that if an officer left a required meeting, before they the meeting concluded, if they would still be counted as being in attendance for the purposes of being paid under our constitution. By vote of the membership, the Bullfrog was to have called the meeting by the December 2nd he has however refused to do so; completely disregarding the directives and will of the membership.

Makes one wonder how much longer we can allow a president who continues to be absent from the office, shirk his duties, and defy you the membership.