Voidspeak?
March 2001 was a beautiful day in the neighborhood when Byron A. Boyd succeeded Charles Little (resigned for "medical" reasons)as President of the Unitied Transportation Union. While I was aware Charlie was forced out and that byron had "little" or no integrity based upon his handling of Smoot once he became President of UTU, I was always amazed by his "voidspeak"!
This picture appeared in the UTU News with this quote under the large bold "The Voice of Transportation Labor":
"As president of your union, I pleadge to do my utmost to fulfill the duties of this office and continue to bring pride and honor to the United Transportation Union." -UTU International President Byron A. Boyd, Jr.
Same UTU news in July of 2003 under this caption of "The Voice of Transportation Labor":
"Courage,judgment, integrity and dedication are our guideposts. Let us never abandon them." - International President Byron A. Boyd Jr.
September 15, 2003 from an article on the UTU webpage entitled "Boyd Responds":
"I respond to the allegation made today in Houston by declaring that they are unfounded."
"On a personal note, we all face challenges in our lives. How we deal with those challenges defines each of us as a person. I have always believed in due process and have represented hundreds of our members confronted with unfounded charges and allegations. My advice was always to take the issues head on. I will be following that advice myself."
March 11, 2004 from another article on the UTU webpage entitled "Boyd resignes following guilty plea":
"Today is a day of great sadness and personal regret. I take full responsibility for my actions and make no excuses. What I have pleaded to is a burden that falls squarely on my shoulders, as it should. To all I am truly sorry for the anguish I have put you through."
Well now, as the Church Lady might say, "Isn't that Special"? Or..., could it be just more "Voidspeak", i.e., does he have genuine regret or does he just regret he got caught? Inquiring Minds Want to Know! I think it's the latter UNTIL he does the RIGHT THING!
Let's see now, Byron believes in due process and has represented hundreds of members confronted with unfounded charges and allegations. So I guess Ken Smoot wasn't one of those, huh Byron? Because when Ken was confronted with the perjury (as opposed to an "unfounded allegation") from VP Bob Earley that he gave you a copy of the Executive Session Transcript at the Atlanta Regional Meeting, you certainly didn't represent Ken (a member)when you sent Rambo over to Youngstown to aver a lie in order to stick him with 100 G's in "punitive" damages for UTU and CSXT!
You have not found the "light" nor will you get one iota of sympathy or forgiveness from me until you write Judge Petie (copy to Smoot and I) that Ken gave you a copy of the Atlanta Edition of the El Paso Express and not "what appeared to be" the Executive Session Transcript! End of Story.
But not the end of this article as I see two other familiar faces in the above picture, Paul Thompson and James Brokenhoefer. Now Paul (aka "Shame on You" for his penchant of chastising the membership for anything other than blind loyalty and obedience) Thompson just took over UTU and I won't bother to print that picture that just appeared on the front cover of the March 2004 UTU News. However, I will note his featured quote:
"At this difficult moment in our history, be assured I will dedicate all my engergies to maintain this union as one of the strongest." - Paul C. Thompson
OK, Paul ... but if I couldn't trust the last two Presidents, why am I now suppose to trust you? Perhaps because you haven't been indicted yet and may not be one of those "unknowns"? Hell, I'm relatively sure whatever energies you dedicate will be done 360+ days a year from Shawnee Mission, Kansas rather than Cleveland! And I guess you have acknowledged what most already know now, i.e., that UTU is no longer the Primere Rail Labor Organization in North America; describing it as one of the strongest may not be accurate either. . . much longer!
While I'd like to give you the benefit of the doubt, I am very displeased with your first move to seek "guidance" from DuBose and Chesser. Reading 4 and 5 paragraph snipets of how we should all rally round the new leader as if corruption has been cured in UTU doesn't make much sense to me, especially when it comes from an officer (Thompson - not Chesser or DuBose)who doesn't really believe in the free speech rights of the members.
Tell you what, cure this "little" policy matter for me and "do the right thing" and I will at least withhold my opinion for awhile longer. The "little" policy matter being that of the abuse by the top three officers of the Amercian Express Card and the windfall in non-taxable income that is not reimbursement for expenses incurred, to wit:
March 22, 2004
Mr. Paul Thompson
International President
United Transportation Union
14600 Detroit Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44106
Re: Financial Condition - Certified Mail - RRR - 7000 0600 0024 6529 2313
Dear Sir & Brother:
I am encouraged with your words wherein you stated "At this difficult moment in our history, be assured I will dedicate all my energies to maintain this union as one of the strongest." I am sure you are aware to remain one of the strongest, our financial condition must remain strong and stable. I give you this opportunity to change the policy of the past three Presidents relative to the use of the American Express Card for the top three officers while also receiving per diem for those same expenses. Specifically because you indicated while in El Paso that the Department of Labor had approved such handling? If that is the case, please provide me with the written opinion which accepts this policy.
Enclosed is my May 27, 2001 letter which attempted to get newly appointed President Byron Boyd to change the policy. I am not aware of any answer to said letter but am aware the policy remains in effect. Will you now stop this practice? If not, by what authority in law do you maintain this practice of double payments?
Suffice to say that if you are not willing to stop this policy, even if such has been authorized in writing by the Department of Labor, I intend to file a complaint with the Internal Revenue Service. At a minimum, those officers who enjoy this windfall should have to pay taxes on the per diem received as it is not "reimbursement" for expenses already paid from personal funds.
Thanking you in advance for your anticipated answers on these matters, I remain,
Most Fraternally Yours,
Lance E. Ruck
Delegate, UTU Local # 1571
cc: El Paso Express
The enclose alluded to is attached below:
May 27, 2001
Mr. Byron Boyd
International President
United Transportation Union
14600 Detroit Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44106
Re: Financial Condition - Certified Mail - RRR - 7000 1670 0000 3319 7813
Dear Sir & Brother:
I am in receipt of the 2000 LM-2 filing to the Department of Labor. Based upon the information in this document and UTU’s own Monthly GS&T Reports, it appears the amount of money in Trust Funds far exceeds the UTU Total Assets. Do you still maintain the UTU is "Strong and Stable" financially?
VP Paul Thompson verified that certain International officers get their room and meals paid for on the UTU Corporate Credit Card while also receiving daily perdiem during a meeting at the 1999 Miami Convention. In a June 27, 2000 letter, I questioned President Little concerning this ongoing practice, to wit:
"In a related item, has there been any change in the practice of using corporate credit cards to pay for food, entertainment, and lodging while at Regional or other meetings of UTU International officers and also reimburse them an additional $113 in per diem via expense claims."
President Little’s subsequent response was that there had been no change in this practice.
My question is quite simple. Will you stop this practice? If not, by what authority in law do you maintain this practice of double payments?
Thanking you in advance for your anticipated answers on these matters, I remain,
Most Fraternally Yours,
Lance E. Ruck
Member, UTU Local # 1571
cc: El Paso Express
Now that might seem like an insignificant issue at this point in time but the fact is I need something from the President that is a cost savings to the members and fair. When you consider our top three officers make $450 - $550 a day 365 days a year (to live at home most of the time?), why should they get to have the nicest suite and best food paid by the members and then be reimbursed (?) $113 of ADDITIONL non-taxable wages? I could care less what the Department of Labor says, I know that Civil Servants that work for the Government, Dept. of Army, etc. are on reimbursed per diem for expeses they have incurred from personal funds! It should be no different.
Realistically, the first thing out of Paul Thompson's mouth should have been that the Board of Directors had met and then announce what modifications to their pay and ranks were going to be made in the International Officers to cut expenses immediately. Hell, I don't have a problem paying Tom and Al's expenses to every Regional Meeting, but I hate to think that's the reason the registration was raised from $125 to $150. 10 years ago it was $75, now it is double ... did our wages double in that time? This is reminiscent of Dubya's "no new taxes"; just a hellacious rise in all user fees! Since the great RRB act didn't protect those on disability and I now pay $500 a month for H&W for my wife and kids, I can't afford $600 for registration, and $100 a night for a hotel room! We already pay $30 to $40 more per night per room to pickup all the meeting room costs.
Yep, Paul faces a real problem in that we have to cut expenses or raise dues. Raising dues now is suicide since it only increases the flow of members to the BLET! Wanna bet some of the Cleveland Union personal get axed rather than these $250,000 a year VP's that do "little" more than attend local union meetings, Regional Meetings, and PLB's! One thing is evident to me; get the BoD to approve blanking the Assistant President job until the next convention when it is removed altogher and implement a policy to replace Thompson should he retire or die. Placing Hakey in that position is possibly the worst thing Thompson could do right now! Ah . . ., and you can take that to the bank!
The final person in the picture above is "Brokenrail", a person I supported most of my union career but have lost respect for over the last 5 or 6 years because he was on the Board of Directors and went along with the abuse in various areas that were known. I just realized how upset I was with Brokenrail after his "little" speech in New Orleans when I also realized that I never added a link to the article. So as you read this, remember is was written within a few weeks of the New Orleans Regional Meeting in 2000 or 2001 (not sure)? In essence, I don't believe anyone on the current Board of Directors or current Internaional Officer should be placed as Assistant President because of "The Silence of the Lambs"! Hang in there and always have a nice day. PS: I am debating about whether to attend the Reno Union Meeting ... ah ..., if it's not cancelled too? One has to wonder if the DLC who think they are about to get the axe (OR INDICTED?)are refusing to sping for their $5000 donations for a luncheon?