NCEU/UPSEU, the rival union seeking to take over two MCGEO bargaining units, is continuing its prohibited campaign of bombarding county government email addresses with anti-MCGEO propaganda. Here is the latest one sent out last week, which is at least the fourth(!) This one is down and dirty, ranting about MCGEO’s “non-existent political clout,” President Gino Renne’s legal issues and even comparisons of union leader salaries. MEEOOWWWRR!
Dear Montgomery County Employee,
MCGEO’s Amy Millar recently sent an e-mail (Click here to read) to a select few Montgomery County employees (mostly shop stewards) asking them to ask questions of UPSEU and included comments about UPSEU.
Empty rhetoric? Irresponsible promises? Questionable track record?
Well MCGEO, here are the answers one by one!!
We have promised ten full-time representatives to be assigned to the OPT/SLT unit to deliver regular workplace visitation and significantly improved contract enforcement; we have promised that you will elect your unit officers, stewards and negotiating team representatives. We have promised to put you first. (That’s the NCEU, UPSEU representation program).
On 238 occasions NCEU, UPSEU has lifted workers out of do nothing unions like MCGEO. Democracy, leadership, and skilled representatives; that’s the NCEU, UPSEU record.
MCGEO QUESTION:
Explain to us how you, in this economic environment, will present the County Executive from taking advantage of you as an out of town negotiator without any political clout?
NCEU, UPSEU ANSWER:
No one can take advantage of NCEU, UPSEU. MCGEO was outmaneuvered when it gave up the 4.5% raises for no extension of the contract forcing employees to get nothing in 2010 and 2011, plus incurring a reduction in pay due to furloughs. Political clout; is that what you call it MCGEO? Your “clout” is doing nothing for the representation interests of the employees of Montgomery County. NCEU, UPSEU comes in without dirty political hands. We come in owing nothing and being owed nothing. MCGEO’s political clout is non-existent. We don’t have a leader currently facing twenty-five years in jail, who has no credibility in the county, and who no politician will be associated with.
MCGEO QUESTION:
Explain to us what allies you have in the local community, the political arena,, and organized labor that you can call upon to help fight for our interests?
NCEU, UPSEU ANSWER:
With strong ties to the United Steel Workers Union, IAM, RWDSU and TCU, NCEU, UPSEU has significant labor ties. What have MCGEO’s so called union ties done for Montgomery County employees? The fact is no one has seen a MCGEO representative, let alone a UFCW representative, or any other unions representatives in the workplace.
MCGEO QUESTION:
Many of us have been to your websites. How do you explain not posting your contracts for public use? What are you hiding? MCGEO posts contracts online.
NCEU, UPSEU ANSWER:
Every single NCEU, UPSEU member has a copy of their contract. Our members participate in NCEU, UPSEU. Ninety seven (97%) percent are NCEU, UPSEU members with only three (3%) percent who are agency fee payers. MCGEO has fifty (50%) percent of its Maryland unit members as agency fee payers. That’s an embarrassment. The county knows MCGEO/UFCW has no support when only fifty (50%) percent of the membership wants nothing to do with them. NCEU, UPSEU has 355 public sector contracts. Our settlements outpace every other union in the states where we serve our members. Our Maryland contracts will outpace those of other unions as well.
MCGEO QUESTION:
You have told people that you will inherit MCGEO’s contract and start from there? What makes you think that you can waltz in here, without a local base, contracts or relationships, and tell these members with a straight face that the Employer, with pressure from the Post to reduce wages and benefits, won’t roll right over you?
NCEU, UPSEU ANSWER:
Simple! Because it is the law. Allow me to educate you MCGEO. Montgomery law states:
County Collective Bargaining Law 33-106(5)
“If a different employee organization is certified as a result of an election carried out under subsection (b)8, that organization must be treated in all regards as a successor in interest and party to any collective bargaining agreement that the previous employee organization was party to.”
Simply put, NCEU, UPSEU is just substituted with not a single change except of course MCGEO will be stricken from the contract. I suggest you get to know the law of your own county.
Nobody rolls over NCEU, UPSEU. In fact our members employers would beg to differ. Again our record, contract for contract, in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, we are leaders in each area.
With Gino out of the picture, who will be heading up the negotiations for MCGEO members? Maybe some out-of -towner from UFCW?
MCGEO QUESTION:
How familiar are you with the County government, County Council candidates, with Maryland politics? Who would you support and who would you oppose among the current crop of Council candidates? And why?
NCEU, UPSEU ANSWER:
We will access the candidates when we win the election. Yes, we are familiar with Montgomery County government. As the 120 or so UFCW staff, deli clerks, pharmacists, cashiers and those who work for the county learned when they attended one of NCEU, UPSEU’s meetings, the 120 of them took a whooping from UPSEU President Kevin Boyle when it came to understanding labor law, the rights of members, Maryland County law and the like.
MCGEO QUESTION:
Can you possibly explain how you intend to work? Are you talking about creating a new local here in Montgomery County that you would run from New York? If so, would we be like all those other UPSEU-IUJAT (if that’s the name you’re planning to use)-with no control over our finances. We just send you the money and you pay the bills and you just keep the rest up north in New York or Massachusetts?
NCEU, UPSEU ANSWER:
We have explained our representation model. Though you can’t match it, let me again explain. Montgomery County employees will be part of NCEU, UPSEU. We will employee ten full time staff professionals, five support staff including a staff attorney and legislative coordinator. A regional director will be assigned, as with every region of our organization. The region will be overseen by the Presidents of NCEU and UPSEU.
Ninety percent of the dues money secured from NCEU, UPSEU Montgomery County members will stay right in Montgomery County. Only sixty two percent of MCGEO’s revenue remains in Montgomery County, with remainder going to UFCW in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts and every other state in the country. One million dollars a year from MCGEO goes to UFCW to fund slaughter house campaigns, organizing of supermarket workers, and funding UFCW’s bureaucracy.
MCGEO QUESTION:
How can you justify paying local union officers $350,000.00 or more in salary? What do they do to earn that much money?
NCEU, UPSEU ANSWER:
UPSEU’s president makes $226,000.00 serving its 23,000 member UPSEU. This is on par with most UFCW locals including UFCW Local 400 right here in Maryland. Gino makes $186,000.00 plus he gets $25,000.00 from the UFCW for a 7,200 member union, half of which are not even members. ($211,000.00 per year).
While UPSEU does not supply vehicles to any officer or staff representative, every one of MCGEO’s representatives gets a union vehicle.
UPSEU’s president works eighty five plus hours per week, while you would be hard pressed to say Gino has ever put a solid forty hours in during any week. That’s how it’s justified. In fact MCGEO, how do you justify $211,000.00 for Gino’s salary?
Recently MCGEO has stated: NCEU,UPSEU doesn’t represent law enforcement.
Wrong again, MCGEO! UPSEU represents, amongst its membership, thirty units of police officers, sheriffs and correctional officers, and NCEU represents numerous corrections and sheriffs units.
MONTGOMERY COUNTY EMPLOYEES SEE RIGHT THROUGH YOUR RHETORIC MCGEO, AND THE DAYS OF MCGEO WIL SOON BE OVER IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY!
THE TRAIN IS COMING MCGEO! BETTER GET OUT OF THE WAY OR YOU’LL BE RUN OVER! YOUR CHOICE!
By signing an NCEU,UPSEU blue authorization card you will take the first step in joining NCEU,UPSEU today!
Kevin E. Boyle, Jr., President UPSEU
Mike Nessinger, President NCEU