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PATRICIA A. KOHL ~ My Pledge
Candidate for President of Local 18
Executive and Advisory Boards of District 6
Click to print: Word / Word Perfect
Our Union as a Whole
Ensure true freedom of speech in our union by the following;
- Abolish Black Listing, Black Balling, and Retaliation with consequences for those guilty!
- Work tirelessly to change and enforce current by-laws that will promote true democracy and fairness:
- ELECTION OF AGENTS - NOT APPOINTMENTS!
- Major changes in our election process which now unquestionably favor the incumbents.
- Strengthen Executive and Advisory Boards by educating them on their responsibilities, duties, and accountability to the membership and their powers as Board members.
- Treat all members equally. This includes posting in the Buckeye, union positions that all funds are hiring for, such as agents, fringe collectors, organizers, instructors, etc.
- When possible, work to hire our union members to dispatch as well as all other positions within all Funds of the union and make all current employees of all funds union members. Make this a union that believes in union employment for all!
- Make the Buckeye Engineer the publication of the members not a platform for incumbents to promote themselves.
- Promote organizing without ignoring state wide abuse of our jurisdiction. Organizing will only work if we maintain and protect what is ours!
- Make decisions based on what is good for the union as a whole, not just one person and NEVER respond to a question from a member by saying “THAT IS ALWAYS HOW WE HAVE DONE IT”!
- Demand accountability from all funds as to their spending, hiring, and administration.
10. Make it very clear to ALL employees of Local 18, Health & Welfare, Pension and Apprenticeship Funds
that they have a job because of you, the members, and you will be treated with the utmost respect!
The Retirees
- Make readily available to Retirees, a yearly report (in language easy to understand) explaining the current state of the Pension and Health & Welfare Funds and commit to a 13 th check whenever possible, not just in election years!
- Work to increase the income of Retirees who worked many years before there was a pension.
- Develop a mentoring program so Apprentices can benefit from vast knowledge/skills of Retirees.
The Benefits
- Work toward lowering the penalty that takes place for early retirement.
- Now 30% at 57 (.0065 per month). Gradually reduce that percentage!
- Raise pension contributions to $3.25 hr. / Raise MRA contribution to $ .50 hr.
- Appoint a committee of members to study the feasibility of adding an annuity.
- Eliminate the purchase of vehicles by administrators that are equipped with towing packages, use an excessive amount of fuel and cost over $50,000.
- Agents/officers (with salaries that average $96,000 + 3 pension contributions of $20,000+ a year) who vote their paychecks hold all Union positions on all funds of Local 18. We need to elect members of the rank and file as Trustees on Health & Welfare, Pension, and Apprenticeship Funds to insure accountability.
- Enforce Apprenticeship Trust Agreement that calls for 2 people to administer your money/insure checks and balances. We currently have one KING who uses your money and there are NO checks and balances! He uses Apprenticeship legal council (which you pay for) to defend his illegal and immoral actions! Even our government officials have to pay their own legal fees to defend themselves! This needs to STOP!
The only way we can begin to make positive changes in Local 18 is to elect members as Officers and Board members who are willing to question and demand accountability without being afraid of retaliation and losing their paycheck! We need checks and balances! This is your union and it is time your voice is heard! My accountability will be to all of you!
Brothers and sisters, I could have kept my $78,325 a year job with over $12,000 a year going into my pension, a vehicle, gas card, cell phone, etc. by just keeping my mouth shut. I just couldn't do it!
I HAD THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT…BUT…I DIDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY!
I ASK FOR YOUR VOTE AND THE PRIVILEGE TO SERVE YOU!
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