On the Issues
Transparency / Accountability
The membership has been asking for transparency for years, and the current administration is now stating that they are all for it. If that were true, they would have taken immediate action or better yet, would not be continuing down the same path of SPENDING, SPENDING, SPENDING. After 18 months in office, not one new idea, not one new job opportunity.
By developing a secure member portal, every member will be able to see in real-time what is going on at your union. There will be no more hiding behind empty statements made at union meetings nor lack of information.
Members would be able to submit requests and inquiries to the business office. With electronic tracking to get immediate feedback on the current affairs both financial and operational. No more unanswered calls or questions. It will be tracked, and the business offices will be expected to deliver measured results in a timely fashion.
Single-question polls sent to the membership given only a few days to respond is not inclusiveness. By them not sharing the results with the executive board is giving the current leadership team a wall to hide behind. It is time to elect independent thinkers and institute real changes that will help our union move forward with a new approach.
New Buildings, With YOUR MONEY
Our current Business Manager and President are leading the charge to purchase new buildings.
Costs to the membership are well over $20 million and not a single presentation to the members or site visit offered to the current elected officers of our union. This does not include millions in renovations needed, nor have any written estimates been presented. It was said to be a step in the right direction that will provide things like ample parking for meetings and catering opportunities for added income and convenience.
- Neither of the two proposed sites have ample parking they have NO PARKING at all!
- Survey was answered by less than 20% of the membership, and no results were shared while NO DISCUSSION was had!!
- Offers were submitted with NO MEMBERSHIP APPROVAL!!
Future Contracts
- Having a notice sent out to vote on ratification of contracts to have meetings to discuss options with officers and members prior to contract ratification.
- In years past we had numerous meetings throughout the jurisdiction to discuss ideas of wants and wish list items. We need to bring this back. Your voice matters.
- Contract language is important. The smallest of details in wording makes a difference to each and everyone of our members. Contracts should protect the rights to the members, not to the Business Manager as was done in our recent contract, giving him, the Business Manager, the final decision on implementing the 50/50 regardless of the percentage of the members out of work.
- The 50/50 hiring system was designed to help keep the list moving and to be implemented when certain unemployment levels are met and not to be at the discretion of the Business Manager or contractors.
Politics
In the past six months, our current business manager made significant contributions without prior approval of the executive board or membership. He believes that it is his own personal checkbook and gave $500,000 to a retiring IBEW President and hundreds of thousands of dollars to super PACs.
Thousands more were spent on candidates in New Jersey and other people that had no chance of winning, but were personal friends of the business manager. A single questionnaire with not a single name on it only results in nothing but a curtain to hide behind.
The Neilson 98 Team will not hide behind a curtain, we will be transparent!
Politics are important to our union; we need a better approach to how our monies are spent, and those we support need to be held accountable.
We have all seen the pictures of non-union on city and county projects, yet we keep spending. Things need to change, and change will be coming with our first 30 days along with more transparency.
- Regional Political Action Teams will be formed to address local issues and attend local meetings. Each Team will be charged with making recommendations so they can hold these politicians accountable.
- All Candidates will go through an interview process and be asked to identify any future goals and an examination of previous voting records.
- These teams will be comprised of members who would like to volunteer and get more involved in the needs of their community and more important, our union.
- NO MORE OPEN CHECKBOOKS
Lower Dues Assessments
The union operates with YOUR money and the executive team should be good stewards of your hard earned dollars. It’s your money, not the Business Manager’s.
Our dues are the highest in the area, one of the highest in the country. The current appointed administration over the past 18 months have continued a spending spree as if it is their own money. They have increased spending by hiring additional people attempting to secure re-election. As union employees resigned for multiple reasons from harassment to embarrassment, the current leadership team continued to hire instead of streamlining the staff.
The way to lower assessments is to cut costs. Our union needs to be overhauled with a complete assessment of both staff and expenditures. On day one, we will be eliminating all unnecessary expenses including the unnecessary vehicles and staff – a cost savings of over $2 million of your money.
Annual budgets should be presented to the membership and require approval from the membership.
A Fresh Start
Numerous professional contacts are renewed on a regular basis to provide various services to the membership. What we have experienced since the change in leadership is the continuation of bad service and advice provided from legal services to healthcare providers. While it was reported that our current administration has been seeking changes, not a single change has been executed in over 18 months.
- We need a fresh start and can no longer wait. Vendors like Vaccaro to Cleary, Josem & Trigiani LLP have had contracts for decades. Each contract needs to be challenged and reviewed by an independent financial committee and new proposals must be solicited to be certain we are getting what we are paying for. We will request a minimal of 3 proposals for every service contract over $25,000 to ensure the union will receive the best service to the membership.
The Neilson Team Plan
CLEAN HOUSE
The Following Positions will be eliminated immediately upon taking office:
- Chief of Staff
- Chief Operating Officer
- Press Secretary
- Social Media Professional/Driver
- Assistants to the President
- Full-Time Day Agent
- Political Director
- Plus additional Business Agents/organizers positions cut
All administrative/clerical/janitorial personnel etc., will be asked to re-apply for their current positions without a promise of future employment.
Independent Study and
Audit of Past Practices
- Solicit proposal for an outside independent auditor for a forensic review.
- Identify fraudulent spending!
- Identify wasteful spending!
- Develop a five-year budget plan.
- Solicit Proposal to evaluate our organizational health and needs.
- Define employee duties for each position.
- Identify needed positions and cut others.
- Develop clear employment policies.
- Hire people with proper credentials for position applied -not patronage positions.
- Develop employee review process.
Outside Professionals
Local Union 98 has numerous professional companies that provide services to our union. For our union to change, we need to evaluate each provider and rid our union of those that have continuously provided bad advice while getting paid. Fresh eyes with new approaches and ideas will provide a path for the future if not, it will be more of the same.
An immediate priority will be to issue request for proposals for the following services:
- All Legal Contracts
- Accounting Services
- Payroll Services
- Banking Services
- Printing Services
- IT Services
- Healthcare
Restructure of the Business
Office for Better Accountability
Positions will be clearly defined within and held accountable. The current administration does not believe the effectiveness of picketing or hand-billing. Since being appointed to his position more than 18 months ago, there has only been one officer’s meeting held and no more than two agents’ meetings during that time. No accountability equals 20+ free agents roaming the streets with no clear direction or strategic approach. The office must be departmentalized for efficiency and better service to the membership.
- Business Agents Construction Division
- Published Phone Numbers
- Returned calls within 24hrs.
- Defined Jurisdictions & Division Responsibilities
- Monthly Reports to the membership
- Field Organizing Department
- Identify all permitting in jurisdiction.
- Support all Job Actions of Agents
- Monthly Reports to the membership
- Other Divisions within Local 98
- Clear point of contact for all issues
- Returned calls within 24hrs.
- Monthly Site Visits
- Quarterly Meetings at minimum
Other Points of Interest
The Neilson team has listened to the membership and the current direction is not in the best interests of the entire membership. After meeting and speaking with more than half of you, the following will be adopted immediately, a new approach will be executed!
Contract Negotiations
The business manager appoints all labor management trustees that are responsible for the multiple contracts within. Every unit in our union will have “rank and file” representation on team assembled to negotiate each and every contract. This will be sure that your voices and concerns are heard loud and clear, and that all members from all divisions have a seat and a voice at the table.
Expenditures over $25,000
Minimum of 3 proposals for any general fund expense over $25,000 to be presented to the Executive Board for approval. A practice that has been ignored in years past which is problematic as we recently learned when the current business manager is attempting to spends millions of dollars for a new building without membership approval or input from the membership except for a single questionnaire sent via email. No results shared with the executive board nor the membership with less than 20% respondents.
Committee Approach
It is important that more members are involved when it comes to the important decisions being made on your behalf. As your business manager, I will create new committees and work with the newly elected President to be more inclusiveness and provide better transparency.
- Finance Committee
- We have numerous members with financial backgrounds, it is important that we utilize their talents to be certain that we stay stable.
- Building Committee
- Through the years we have made significant investments in real estate. We are not using our assets to their full capabilities and capacities.
- Any expansions, future purchases or improvements will be reported to the membership for discussion and voted on, not based on one person’s decision to spend millions without prior approval or discussions.
- Union Events Committee
- There are numerous sponsored parades and events throughout the year. The gathering of the membership is a good thing for fellowship and bringing families together. In the last year, more than $500,000 was spent on these events and presented to the executive board as costs not to exceed.
- All events presented to the board and the membership should have a detailed budget of costs and be approved.
- Political Action Committee
- History has taught us that being politically active is important to every area within our union. We have spent millions to get people elected and continue to give to those that have turned their back on us. A committee approach setup regionally will help make good choices.
- Each County will have a committee made up of members that reside within.
- Each Candidate seeking our support will go through an interview process and need to answer a questionnaire for the membership to review.
- Committees will make recommendations to both the business manager and the executive board for ratification.
- History has taught us that being politically active is important to every area within our union. We have spent millions to get people elected and continue to give to those that have turned their back on us. A committee approach setup regionally will help make good choices.
No more one question surveys where results are never shared or discussed. The union operates on behalf of the membership, and not to be self serving to the leadership.
“WE ALL BELONG TO ONE UNION”
Your union will be working for YOU beginning the day after the votes are counted.
“We have a leadership problem that we need to solve.”