# IBEW Corrupt Local Union Officers. How Do We deal With Them?



## Grand Commander (Jun 22, 2015)

I wanted to be sure about my selection of the word “corruption” so I looked up several dictionary definitions online and will highlight the parts of the word definition that could apply to my understanding of what may be corruption.

cor·rupt* (k-rpt)
adj.
1. Marked by immorality and perversion; depraved.
2. Venal; dishonest: a corrupt mayor.
3. Containing errors or alterations, as a text: a corrupt translation.
4. Archaic Tainted; putrid.
v. cor·rupt·ed, cor·rupt·ing, cor·rupts
v.tr.
1. To destroy or subvert the honesty or integrity of.
2. To ruin morally; pervert.
3. To taint; contaminate.
4. To cause to become rotten; spoil.
5. To change the original form of (a text, for example).
6. Computer Science To damage (data) in a file or on a disk.
v.intr.
To become corrupt.

[Middle English, from Latin corruptus, past participle of corrumpere, to destroy : com-, intensive pref.; see com- + rumpere, to break; see reup- in Indo-European roots.]

cor·rupter, cor·ruptor n.
cor·ruptive adj.
cor·ruptly adv

cor·rup·tion* (k-rpshn)
n.
1.
a. The act or process of corrupting.
b. The state of being corrupt.
2. Decay; rot.
3. Archaic Something that corrupts.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

corruption [k??r?p??n]
n
1. the act of corrupting or state of being corrupt
2. moral perversion; depravity
3. dishonesty, esp bribery
4. putrefaction or decay
5. (Linguistics) alteration, as of a manuscript
6. (Linguistics) an altered form of a word
corruptionist* n
corruption
* 
*Definition*

Giving or obtaining advantage through means which are illegitimate, immoral, and/or inconsistent with one's duty or the rights of others. Corruption often results from patronage. 

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/corruption.html#ixzz15eLi2n6a


I know the answer to that question in the title to this topic… make them accountable and vote them out of office.

Sounds simple doesn’t it.

It is.

But we must first identify the reasons for wanting* to vote corrupt officers out of office and that is why we have the right to speak freely on the Internet about the truth. I continue to try to work within the system but I find the internal IBEW system of justice is under the control of elected officers that are incompetent and are failing the members in their duties. 

It is my duty to inform you so that you will use you right to vote and act accordingly.

We must deal with facts Brothers and Sisters and that is what I am prepared to do for you here as I make my case for voting out of office IBEW officers that have failed to carry out their sworn duties.

Here are the facts as I know them.

*IBEW Union April 2010 – Bellagio Banquet Centre Woodbridge Ontario​*Local 353 President /Chairman – Denies a member the right to speak at the meeting.

Member challenges the Chair , Chairman denies the challenge despite other members apparent support of the members wishing to speak.

Member is charged under the IBEW Constitution for “Causing a disturbance” for calling the Chairman a disgrace.

Found guilty by the Local 353 trial board.

Meeting degenerates into confusion after the Chairman confuses the members concerning a vote on contract offer by the Low Rise Contractors Association.

The members demand a re vote.

They members are improperly informed by the Chairman that they need a 2/3 majority to vote again. The IBEW Constitution states that a simple majority is required for a motion to reconsider and the members present could clearly see that was the motion had passed and there should have been a re vote. The Chairman ruled the motion defeated and declared the vote to accept the contract as passed.

Charges are filed against the local 353 President/Chairman for his actions regarding the denial of a challenge to the chair. With the IBEW First District with the investigating officers report.

I appealed the decision of the local 353 Trial Board dated June 10, 2010 to IBEW First District IVP Phil Flemming on June 22, 2010 in good time according to the IBEW Constitution and requested he address the appeal prior to the penalties imposed by the Local 353 Trial board being enforced. He did not, I served the penalty of “Not allowed to speak at the next 3 meeting the member attends” applied to the June , July, and August local 353 meetings.

Prior to my meeting with Bill Daniels on September 3, 2010 I asked about my appeal and he told me that he had been given no instructions by the IVP regarding an appeal and was there to deal with charges I had filed against Local 353 officer Barry Stevens, President, Robert White, Vice President and George Smith, Recording Secretary of local 353.

I wrote a letter to IVP Phil Flemming* asking about my appeal and sent it by email August 27, 2010 and also hand delivered it on August 31, 2010.

I also kept IBEW IP Ed Hill informed about the issue which I had discussed with him in a private conversation by way of Facebook.

I received no response from IVP Phil Flemming regarding my appeal.

This past Friday November 12, 2010 I spoke with Bill Daniels when returned my phone call. I asked him about the status of my charges against the local 353 officers and he told me that it was now out of his hands and that Peter Routliff was the international officers in charge of dealing with charges aginst officers. 

I called Peter Routliff and inquired about the status of the charges I filed and he said he was very busy and that there many sets of charges he had to deal with before he could address the charges I had preferred against the local 353 officers.

I asked Peter Routliff about my appeal filed June 21, 2010 and he told me that he did not handle appeals and that was “Jerry’s department” He asked me to stand by and he called Jerry. He reported to me that according to Jerry "he doesn’t have report from Bill Daniels yet".

Peter Routliff said he would call me back after Michelle came back from lunch so he could find out what was going on. 

At 2:00 pm Lisa called me and explained that they were awaiting reports back from local 353 and that they had called them several times about it and had expected the information back by September 29, 2010.

I asked her at what time would they consider the unresponsiveness of local 353 officers unacceptable. She replied that they were helpless without that information.

Tuesday November 16, 2010 I was present at the local 353 office and asked George Smith the local 353 Recording Secretary about what the IBEW First District office had told me. He said he had only just received notice from the IBEW First district office on Monday November 15, 2010 about their request for trial transcripts.

That’s strange because I questioned him about him having knowledge about my appeal and he said he was sure he had been notified. I was sent correspondence by the First District Office that questioned the fact of whether the local 353 office had been informed and replied to the document they sent me informing them that the Local 353 Recording Secretary George Smith had confirmed for that he had.

November 16, 2010 I wrote a letter to George Smith to document the apparent miscommunication between the IBEW First District Office and Local 353. My closing statement was…* I hope you can investigate and find out why Local 353 is having these problems communicating with the First district Office. Please let me know when you find out the problem.”

I copied the letter to IBEW IVP Phil Flemming, IBEW IP Ed Hill and the Local 353 Executive Board. I delivered the copy to the first District Office in person and said hello to Phil Flemming who was there in the lobby assisting someone as they moved some office equipment while Barry Stevens who was also in attendance watched.

Now all these documented events are the facts according to me. I would ask all that are reading this to consider the implications of what I have described. I am not asking for comments because I want to follow up with a further post describing what I think the implications are for all us and particularly the members of the Low Rise Residential Sector in local 353.

So please take some time to think and consider what I have told you here today. I would like as many IBEW members to be able to read this as possible. Now if someone other than a credible IBEW source posts here to try and distract and attack individuals to try and distract please step back and allow them to and allow me respond with facts. I expect some of you will have opinions to express and I welcome them but please let me finish my story first.

I can only ask for your indulgence here so I can finish my story.* *
http://ourlocal353.ca/forums/index.php?topic=5660.msg43643#msg43643


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## Nom Deplume (Jul 21, 2013)

Corruption in the IBEW, I'm shocked.


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## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

I will be watching the news to see if they find an electrician swimming with the fishes.


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## Rollie73 (Sep 19, 2010)

We tried to vote the bastard out of office three times. He appointed his cronies to count the ballots and won every time. Usually by enough votes to make it look close. 
Finally we had a few members who accidentally stumbled across a few discrepancies when they were called out for voting for the guy who we were trying to get rid of. 

They spoke up, let the international know of the corruption and election rigging going on in our local and filed formal complaints. Charged him with rigging the elections, embezzling funds and numerous other felonies. 

While the accusations were being investigated, his brother pulled a gun on the members who filed the charges outside of our hall after a union meeting and pulled the trigger twice. Thankfully, for whatever reason, the gun didn't discharge and he was tackled to the ground by numerous members.

This all caused the I.O. to step in and take over our local for some time. We were touch and go there for a while on the issue of losing our charter, but we were able to prove over 200K in missing funds and able to prove the ballot fixing. He was charged with felony theft and banned from IBEW for life.....along with his brother and numerous other officers from the executive.


That's how things went in our local when we tried to deal with corrupt union officers.


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## kg7879 (Feb 3, 2014)

Wow it sounds like you have it rough in your local. 

Obviously a lot of what unions can and can not do are governed by the Department of Labor and the NLRB. Maybe you can contact someone there and hopefully get it resolved. Or better yet hopefully in your local or district steps up and resolves it.


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## midnight-theme (Jan 3, 2015)

the teamsters have Teamsters for a Democratic Union, maybe the IBEW needs something similar.


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## Bad Electrician (May 20, 2014)

kg7879 said:


> Wow it sounds like you have it rough in your local.
> 
> Obviously a lot of what unions can and can not do are governed by the Department of Labor and the NLRB. Maybe you can contact someone there and hopefully get it resolved. Or better yet hopefully in your local or district steps up and resolves it.


The member is North of the NLRB jurisdiction. But I am sure Canada has something similar.


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## Rollie73 (Sep 19, 2010)

Bad Electrician said:


> The member is North of the NLRB jurisdiction. But I am sure Canada has something similar.


Same stuff and pretty much exactly the same name Brian. They have some control over how unions operate but its minimal.

http://pslrb-crtfp.gc.ca/labour_relations_board_e.asp

After clicking on the link the OP posted and reading the info....it seems the OP is a bit of a troublemaker around his local might be looking for some support from us around here.


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

Rollie73 said:


> After clicking on the link the OP posted and reading the info....it seems the OP is a bit of a troublemaker around his local might be looking for some support from us around here.


Which is why he copied and pasted a five year old post from his other message board with no other explanation.


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## Rollie73 (Sep 19, 2010)

Speedy Petey said:


> Which is why he copied and pasted a five year old post from his other message board with no other explanation.


I honestly didn't even look at the dates on that. What a crock.


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## 51360 (Jun 9, 2014)

Here is a link to Perry's site, I believe he started it, not sure if he is still operating it, but he still posts there.

http://ourlocal353.ca/forums/index.php

Haven't visited that site in years. Perry seemed like a decent member trying to do the right thing. I believe he started out as an organizer, and he even ran for office later on. 

Good stories there, but should probably keep them there. 

Borgi


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## Grand Commander (Jun 22, 2015)

*IBEW Representative Tom Reid, Can He Provide Proper Justice?*

Apologies if the date threw you off and made it seem outdated.
It's an ongoing, current problem.



Sadly attending a local 353 union meeting does not seem to be about fairness, justice and respect for each member’s right to participate in a proper parliamentary style meeting. A proper assembly is conducted according to rules and the rules need to be applied properly and fairly to be able to claim respectability.

Parliamentary rules are meant to allow opposing views to exist while allowing important and necessary business to be conducted. When the fundamentals of proper procedure are undermined by incompetence or biased manipulative improper interpretations of Robert’s Rules of Order I believe it amounts to arrogant abuse of power that undermines the whole concept of fairness.


I regularly attend the meetings in my unit in Toronto and try to go to as many of the other unit meetings as I can when I am able. Recently I have attended each of the last 6 unit meetings that cover the months of May and June in local 353. We have 3 units (North Barrie, East Bowmanville, South Toronto) therefore 3 unit meetings per month all in the same week from Tuesday to Thursday.

In my experience of attending meetings I never witnessed such a high attendance at these meetings by the officers and business representatives as I did recently. It was like a call for all hands on deck had been made. Now with all of these experienced union officers and paid representatives on hand you would think that proper procedure according to the rules would exist. After all, they have sworn an oath to uphold the IBEW Constitution. The officers especially make a pledge in front of members with their right hands raised and state… *“all this I solemnly pledge with the full knowledge that to violate this pledge is to stamp me devoid of principle and destitute of honour.”*

Those are serious words with serious consequences that one would think an officer would remember. At the last south unit meeting one senior local 353 officer chose to mislead members by only reading what is listed in the IBEW Constitution, he avoided the actual oath that he repeated in front of members and that I witnessed him repeat in front of members.

The local 353 officers have retained a legal firm to send a member (myself) a Notice of Libel claiming defamation and threatening a lawsuit. Members were asked to vote on a bill of $5000.00 in May 2015. Questions for information by members on the union floor related to that bill were avoided by the business manager. Motions to table the bill until comprehensive factual information about the actions was provided were ruled out of order by the unit chairmen. 

In June omissions to the minutes offered by members and corrections to errors were refused by two of the unit recorders.

A new bill for the sum of $27,165.20* was presented in the bills and members were advised by the chair at the north meeting that there were to be no questions regarding that bill. This caused objections and debate, but debate only happened after the vote was forced without proper information being provided. The chairman was challenged to provide a constitutional provision to the floor that supported his decision and he refused to do so.

At the east unit meeting the business manager would not answer questions regarding the bill and the chairman ruled a motion to table the bill out of order. When challenged to state what constitutional provision or parliamentary rule that he was basing his decision on, he would not provide an explanation. An officer on the dais stated that it was a standing bill and therefore had been already been paid and therefore could not be tabled.

At the local 353 south unit meeting after the business manager’s report we addressed the bills. Questions to the bills were invited and several members rose to address the chair. One member asked for clarification about the* plaintiffs listed on the legal papers. The floor was told that the officers were named but because they were the officers they represented the local just like the directors of corporation do for a corporation.

When I attempted to make a point regarding statements made by the business manager in his report and relate them to my questions on the bill related to the action by local 353 officers affecting myself I was interrupted and the microphone was turned off. I asked to be allowed to finish but again the microphone was ordered to be turned off by the chairman forcing me speak in a louder voice.* He refused my motion to lay the bill on the table until members were provided information about the actions being undertaken by the local 353 officers. He took exception to my lead in to my question that identified misinformation to the members by the business manager related to the bill in his report.

Business Manager Steven Martin stated that the action was being taken to address a case of slander by a member of the local who has put into the public slanderous things about the local union in itself.

I believe that if the business manager is going to make such statements and expect members to approve a legal bill regarding the action he should provide members with information about it. He did not.

Now the chairman Robert White refused a motion to lay the bill on the table and as I tried to make that motion he insisted on my answering a question regarding whether I “taping the meeting”. I responded that it was unfair for him to ask such a question and I tried to relate my position to the IBEW Constitution by quoting Article 1 Section. He interupted and loudly demanded that I must answer his question. When I pointed out that his action was discriminatory and that he in my opinion was violating the harassment policy read out at the beginning of the meeting he decided to poll the floor and ask members if they were in favour of being recorded. I protested his improper actions and he stated that I was causing a disturbance and he ordered me to leave the meeting.

*I left the meeting and was in the dispatch area outside the meeting doors when I was confronted by Steven Martin who began pushing me and saying that I must leave the building. I asked him to keep his hands off me and he continued by pushing with his body and as I tried to move to where my bag was he blocked me and forcefully pushed me again. As this was happening several members were close by watching including business rep Les Carbonnaro and Greg Cullen, and two or three other members including at least two members that work at the hall.

So in my opinion unfairness and improper procedures are being allowed to go on in local 353 and not being expeditiously addressed by the IBEW international office despite charges being filed on numerous occasions. Intimidation is being allowed in union meetings and practiced by officers at the local 353 union hall, this is not the first incident regarding a member being pushed and abused by a local 353 Representative and is a disturbing trend that I hope will be addressed by someone in authority. It is hypocritical to read out a harassment policy at the beginning of union meetings and then allow political opponents or critics to be discriminated against by double standards and physical abuse.
*

Yesterday, I spoke with Tom Reid outside of the IBEW First District office and told him about what happened at the local 353 union hall on June 11, 2015. I asked him if he could call Steven Martin and ask him to preserve and not erase the video from the security cameras in the dispatch area where the incident took place so that we could view them.

I also requested a copy of any IBEW policy addressing the use electronic recording devices in union meetings. I informed him that I would be documenting my requests to him email to create a record. I sent the email at mid day but have not received a reply as yet, 
http://ourlocal353.ca/forums/index.php?topic=6486.msg50128#msg50128


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## 51360 (Jun 9, 2014)

This doesn't sound like something Perry would post at another site. I could be wrong, but there are many out to discredit him.

This thread is very suspicious! 

Borgi


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## dawgs (Dec 1, 2007)

To the OP, IMO, You are on here posting your dirty laundry with another member of your local. This should be between you and your local, not the whole world. You are just feeding fuel to those who distain the union.

Next you will be on here with transcripts about a fight your having with one of your family members.


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## Grand Commander (Jun 22, 2015)

Dirty laundry?
You mean like this?



Rollie73 said:


> We tried to vote the bastard out of office three times. He appointed his cronies to count the ballots and won every time. Usually by enough votes to make it look close.
> Finally we had a few members who accidentally stumbled across a few discrepancies when they were called out for voting for the guy who we were trying to get rid of.
> 
> They spoke up, let the international know of the corruption and election rigging going on in our local and filed formal complaints. Charged him with rigging the elections, embezzling funds and numerous other felonies.
> ...


dawgs,
Thanks for you opinion
This section is about Unions, good or bad.
This isn't my dirty laundry. This is the dirty laundry of the IBEW 353 officers.
You can't defeat corruption, if you allow it to hide.
If there was more transparency and publicity, maybe incidents like Rollie73 described would never happen. 
If you're not interested in how to improve the IBEW, don't read this thread.


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## Grand Commander (Jun 22, 2015)

If the IBEW IO allows IBEW officers to violate the IBEW Constitution,
how would IBEW members go about correcting this hypocritical position?
How would they hold their union officers accountable?

If you swear to uphold the IBEW Constitution, 
do you swear to uphold interpretations of the constitution 
that prevents members from holding the union officers accountable?

If you think this should be between you and your local, not the whole world, how can you expect justice if the IBEW IO doesn't give it. How else can you pressure them to act accordingly?



> Declaration of the
> INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS
> 
> Our cause is the cause of human justice, human rights, human security. We refuse, and will always refuse, to condone or tolerate dictatorship or oppression of any kind. We will find and expel from our midst any who might attempt to destroy, by subversion, all that we stand for. This Brotherhood will continue to oppose communism, Nazism or any other subversive "'ism." We will support our God, our Nations, our Union.
> ...


If the IBEW declares that it's cause is justice and expects to represent all workers in the entire electrical industry, then expect that corruption will be exposed, in order to achieve justice.


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## Grand Commander (Jun 22, 2015)

*Edit:*

OK, apparently sticking to the topic of the thread isn't a big deal?
______________________________________________________

*Freedom of the Press?*
It seems that "Freedom of the Press" is something that too many individuals are against.

When faced with information that disturbs them, they start shooting at the messenger.

http://www.electriciantalk.com/f33/freedom-press-113874/
Now I am asking Borgi this question:
Why are you suggesting that I am disrespectful and attempting to discredit anyone and their union?
If you know and respect Perry Speranza then the News of his current issues must be more than that of a "one trick pony".
I've never pretended to be anyone. That is a blind assumption caused by focusing on the News Media (me), instead of the current issues facing IBEW 353 Brother Perry Speranza.

Freedom of the Press
Without out it, there can be no justice. That applies to the IBEW also.


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## 51360 (Jun 9, 2014)

Grand Commander said:


> *Edit:*
> 
> OK, apparently sticking to the topic of the thread isn't a big deal?
> ______________________________________________________
> ...


As I have said in another post, you are *pretending* to be Perry Speranza, that is an attack on him and his Union. 

Tell me, and other honest respectful members of this site, who you really are, and what your agenda is. Simple, you may get some support! 

Anything less than the truth is unacceptable. Show some respect! 

Borgi


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## TGGT (Oct 28, 2012)

www.uniondemocracy.org


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## Speedy Petey (Jan 10, 2007)

OK, enough if this.Commander, you obviously have an agenda, and seem to not even be part of this trade. You are some kind of media shill. 
You already have this topic and thread running on your other site, keep it there.


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