CLEVELAND (TDB) -- A labor organization claiming 230,000 members when it endorsed Hillary Clinton's presidential candidacy two months ago -- and called itself a "newly formed labor powerhouse" -- doesn't actually exist. U.S. District Judge John R. Adams has extended until Feb. 8 a restraining order that halts an Ohio union that represents 84,000 of the nation's bus drivers, railroad and air transit workers from merging with a larger labor organization, the Sheet Metal Workers. There are allegations that some officers of the United Transportation Union in Cleveland withheld data and made misleading statements about the new organization, which was to be known as SMART, an acronym for Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation.
The Daily Bellwether viewed federal court documents on file in the Northern District of Ohio. One of the issues being aired: Details about the merger were distributed over the Internet but the union's bus drivers -- who include large numbers of African Americans -- don't surf the 'net or use home computers. Apparently, railroad and air transit workers are more wired than bus drivers. Dissidents have filed suit contending UTU members didn't receive complete details when a merger referendum was conducted last summer. Arthur Fox, a Washington lawyer who represents UTU members opposing the creation of SMART, contended in a court filing that most of the union's 12,000 bus drivers don't own computers and don't surf the Internet. Thus, they didn't know much about the merger they were asked to authorize.
"As a consequence, only those members who both own computers with high-speed Internet access and who regularly 'surf' that [UTU] website were given access to information, which was not made available to less advantaged members. As as Plaintiff Arnold, the current Vice-President (Bus Division) point out, UTU's 12,000 bus drivers were disproportionately impact since a majority of them do not own computers, much less surf the UTU;s website. Clearly, defendants discriminating between the computer 'haves' and 'have nots' within the union's membership, giving the former group access to merger information while denying to the latter group."
Showing posts with label Union Merger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Union Merger. Show all posts
Friday, January 04, 2008
Monday, December 17, 2007
Ohio Federal Court Gets Union Merger Lawsuit: Case Transferred From Illinois To Cleveland
CLEVELAND (TDB) -- A lawsuit that seeks an injunction blocking the scheduled Jan. 1, 2008 merger of the 84,679-member United Transportation Union with the 150,000-member Sheet Metal Workers International Association is now pending in Cleveland federal court. It was moved last week from Illinois. The UTU represents bus drivers, railroad, and mass transit workers nationwide and is based in Cleveland
There is information about the UTU here. And the Sheet Metal Workers here. The merged organization would be known as SMART and remain in the AFL-CIO. The lawsuit was filed by four UTU members and contends UTU President Paul Thompson did not furnish the rank-and-file "with crucial information with which to evaluate the implications of the merger and were forced to cast their ballots in an informational vacuum."
One of the plaintiffs is Roy Arnold, the UTU vice president in charge of the bus driver's department. The lawsuit says that the merger vote was rushed through last summer, and that only 12,097 ballots were cast, with 8,625 favoring the merger. The plaintiffs contend the UTU will be swallowed up by the Sheet Metal Workers.
"Although President Thompson and his staff have portrayed the proposed merger of the UTU with the Sheet Metal Workers as a genuine merger of two unions to create an all new union known as SMART, in fact it would not be a merger in the traditional sense, but rather an acquisition of the UTU by the Sheet Metal Workers, a crucial and material fact that was withheld from the UTU membership who were bombarded by Thompson with pro-merger propaganda during what amounted to a rushed, quickie referendum ratification . . ."
U.S. District Judge David Herndon transferred the case to Cleveland from the courthouse in East St. Louis because the UTU is located on Detroit Avenue in Cleveland. Herndon said several UTU members live in southern Illinois, but explained that it was clear to him that the alleged violations about the voting process had not taken place in his court's jurisdiction.
There is information about the UTU here. And the Sheet Metal Workers here. The merged organization would be known as SMART and remain in the AFL-CIO. The lawsuit was filed by four UTU members and contends UTU President Paul Thompson did not furnish the rank-and-file "with crucial information with which to evaluate the implications of the merger and were forced to cast their ballots in an informational vacuum."
One of the plaintiffs is Roy Arnold, the UTU vice president in charge of the bus driver's department. The lawsuit says that the merger vote was rushed through last summer, and that only 12,097 ballots were cast, with 8,625 favoring the merger. The plaintiffs contend the UTU will be swallowed up by the Sheet Metal Workers.
"Although President Thompson and his staff have portrayed the proposed merger of the UTU with the Sheet Metal Workers as a genuine merger of two unions to create an all new union known as SMART, in fact it would not be a merger in the traditional sense, but rather an acquisition of the UTU by the Sheet Metal Workers, a crucial and material fact that was withheld from the UTU membership who were bombarded by Thompson with pro-merger propaganda during what amounted to a rushed, quickie referendum ratification . . ."
U.S. District Judge David Herndon transferred the case to Cleveland from the courthouse in East St. Louis because the UTU is located on Detroit Avenue in Cleveland. Herndon said several UTU members live in southern Illinois, but explained that it was clear to him that the alleged violations about the voting process had not taken place in his court's jurisdiction.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)