CIVIL COURT UPDATE ON FREERIDERS
Time seems to be on the side of the freeriders that have sought to avoid their obligation to pay monthly dues. The Commissioner that postponed our cases until today was not present in court and a "Judge Pro-Tem" sat on the bench in his place.
The Court is obviously apprehensive about making a decision while Lee Carey's Request for Review is pending with the NLRB in Washington. I attempted to explain to the Judge that the matter in D.C. is not an appeal but rather a request to have the Regional Boards decision to instantly dismiss Lee's petition for a de-authorization election reviewed by the Board in Washington.
We have already won a decision on the local level denying Lee his attempted election to have the Union Security language removed from our CBA. The Union challenged his petition based on the grounds that the collection of signatures was done in violation of the NLRB rules.
I notified the clerk that I would prefer to postpone our cases to have the Commissioner Harrison hear our argument, yet the cases went before this judge pro-tem none the less. The Judge decided to again postpone the cases until March, 2011 thinking that the NLRB in Washington may reach a decision on Lees' request for review by then. I informed the Judge that Commissioner Harrison did the same two months ago thinking the same and that we may not have a decision from Washington for another year for all we know. It made no difference to the court and his position remained the same, wait for Washington.
It doesn't amaze me that these individuals accepted the signing bonus and lump sum payments yet they won't support their Union financially. Instead they do the bidding of the Senior Vice President of Operations who seeks nothing more than to destroy this Union and the loyal members who support it. He values his pawns and is proud that they are blindly serving him in his efforts. They should be embarrassed and ashamed to allow management to use them as such; especially at the expense of fellow and former pressmen and presswomen.
The Local has spent close to $50,000.00 of YOUR DUES fighting the Company and Lee Carey over this matter and the dozen or so grievances that are pending arbitration. This court battle over dues is just another example of how management divides and conquers. They are very aware that without financial resources to defend the contract, they can literally do what they want and we won't be able to afford legal help to fight back.
I have no doubt we will prevail once Washington upholds Regional Director, James Small's Dismissal and the Union Security language is enforced by the Civil Court.
In Solidarity,
President, Ronnie Pineda
