9 thoughts on “Update: Philadelphia Local APWU Under Trusteeship Gets A Visit From FBI”

1. Guess what Weiss,

   The Local Informer was cleared.
   The Trustee Gary K. lied about the paper costing the union a cent. He could not come up with a single check that was spent during the trial board that took place at the Hilton Hotel in Philadelphia! Also did you know that the Executive Board did not have to decide on the Informer. Nothing in the local’s constitution says that it must go before the Executive Board, it it cost over $700.00 to produce then it had to go before the board. It cost little to nothing, it was not mailed and the Trustee was put on notice at the trial and proven to be bias in his statements. Also the Treasurer Franklin and Vice President Reeves and DIR Chieffo, admitted to breaking into the communications room at the Union Hall, which caused the President Nick Casselli to change the locks on the Union doors. This is all under oath and on tape.
   The Treasurer, DIR and Vice President brought forth NO EVIDENCE for anything!
   A petition was put together in record time to the trial board to REPLACE the Trustee Gary Kloepfer because he stated that he finds no fault in these individuals, which was unprofessional when a hearing will soon take place. His irresponsibility, in his statements has caused a large portion of the membership, more than 300 APWU members to decide to go to the labor board and ask to get out of the APWU local if the President Nick Casselli is not put back in place. We are all ready to roll!
   Know what else Weiss?
   Stacey, Reeves and Chieffo has been charged by the Darby Bourough for their crimes and will be going to court in 30 days. All Nick has to do is take in the court reporters records of their statements and win the case!!!!

2. Decertify or wait for those dues assessments! How are those prime-time TV commercials working for ya? Wonder how much of your dues money went to that? I’m sure the public will be cheering for you after they hear Osama tonite!

3. Sounds like what were going through at O’Hare Midway T Local #7011, we’ve questioned and complained to national since the very beginning and are still continuing but no positive response for the membership. The last rsponse was that ” The president is responsible for the running of the local whatever way he wants to “. Our president who appointed two members to the executive board against the protest of the membership to gain the majority vote, who changed the meeting day of the local so the majority of members that were attending would now have to take Annual or LWOP to attend. All decisions for any business is done by interim motion, the president does not follow Roberts Rules of Order for conducting meetings or adheres to our constitution or the national constitution, he just ousted the VP and Dir. of Organization (which were elected to the positions) by interim motion and appointed the one who file charges to the Directors position, against our protest. We are told now to wait until election, well that’s a positive statement, but our president does not follow the rules he makes them. Were telling you and all the powers that read this page to look and listen for March 2012 , do we want a headline NO but unless someone from national or state comes in to run our election were going to have trouble. This adminstration has run through this local with fire and the National has said always “we can not do anything that’s a local issue” well what do we tell the members when they can’t get representation, thats what we pay for. We did not cast our vote for this drama, people change and some can not handle power or they already had an agenda in place to use their position to get back at others, how are we to handle this? but to come to the national for direction. The only thing we APWU members should be concerned with is the responsibility of our jobs. Members elected to these positions is not for your personal gain the CBA works we need to use that and not our personal feelings. Stop taking advantage of the membership we give our money in good faith not to throw away on some hope that maybe what the canidate says is true, to find out they lied and were stuck for 3 years fighting them, management and the national because the rules they put in place only work if the adminstration in place is following the rules. If they dont, waiting this long can be devastating to the membership like: unfair discipline, deals made, loss of jobs, excessing, etc… and were sure you can add to the list. The union is about protecting the rights of the membership first did we forget, not just get elected YOU don’t have to do nothin just get a check. Were trying to encourage members to stay in the union to vote them out, this is all we can do, we need a strong local not a bought one. We still need national to help, go back to the 50 votes your out or something which makes it harder for these things to happen. This will let the Presidents know that the line is draw and give back to the membership their proper respect. Membership needs to see national on the scene.

   Please Help Now! This could become an epidemic!

   Are we in solidarty?

   Concern Local #7011

4. Bart,

   I certainly wish you were correct with your statement. Unfortunately, not all problems or obstacles are in black and white. This is an unfortunate instance when information has been discovered after the fact, after the nomination and election that has created a reason to question the election results. It remains unclear as to why this information wasn’t uncovered before the nomination. Any way you look at this situation, it’s not one of our union’s greater moments. It’s my hope that everything can be straightened out and that our local can focus on protecting the rights and well-being of our members.

5. “when your fellow union officials inform you that you do not qualify for a position that you have just been elected to fill. ”

   If someone was not qualified then he could not be nominated or allowed to run on the ballot. If he was elected he was qualified. Sounds like the membership was tired of the present crew and now the old gang is rejecting the election. That is what elections are for. But the president had connections with national union?

   We had this happen in our office. New president ready to take on management and enforce the contract. Management and the old gang on the EX board worked together openly and fought the new president every step of the way. Management even gave the old bunch access to the union buliten board. It was shameless. The treasurer refused to give the president access to the books even though the constitution provided for it. National asleep at the wheel while entrenched groups make deals with management. Even newly elected union officials cannot fix it with no support.

   The system is broken and all nation wants to do is get the democrat votes out every two years and get more dues money.

6. And we wonder why the public hates unions. Incredible behaviour.

7. There are proper ways to direct grievances, complaints or concerns when your fellow union officials inform you that you do not qualify for a position that you have just been elected to fill. This doesn’t include changing the locks to the union office, unappointing union reps, or replacing editorial staff with years of writing experience with your own people in order to spread personal viewpoints via a newsletter that was not approved by the union, and paid for, without union authorization, with union funds. I certainly hope that the trustee and national officials can fix this conflict and get the local Philadelphia APWU back on track.

   Rich Weiss, former Assistant Editor, the Philadelphia Postal Worker, the official publication of the local Philadelphia APWU

8. Gary Klopfer was a horrible trustee of APWU Plano (TX) local for nearly a year from July 2010 and resented coming to Plano. Frank Juarez, the former President of the local was suspected of embezzlement of union funds. He refused to provide financial records. When pressed, he abruptly resigned and chose his buddy Vice President (VP) Michael Ellis as the new President. Ellis became 204B several times while he was still VP. He became 204B even as he was President. The local steward prepared a petition and members signed it asking Ellis to step down. He refused. The steward filed a charge against him with the National. Ellis worked with the management to fire him. While he was in collusion and conspired with management and collaborated to fire him, National was asleep at the wheel and miserably failed to act for 135 days after the charge was filed and failed to help the steward timely. Local APWU President Ellis even withdrew and settled his grievance at step two agreeing to fire him. This is the true story of APWU Plano (TX) local. APWU National is asleep at the wheel

9. Sounds like the old Sal Devito days ? Has the union been infiltrated by management ?

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