The tens of thousands who filled the streets Jan. 20 to challenge Bush, his administration, and the system that he stands at the head of are a sign of things to come. That Bush felt the need to attack the right to protest, while surrounding himself with an army of cops that day, speaks volumes.

The wealthy elite that runs this country put Bush in office. They swarmed the capital for his inauguration. The rich and arrogant filled every D.C. hotel, with their furs, chauffeurs, and three-piece suits, clinking their champagne glasses to country western music. They had something to celebrate – another of their own moving in the White House, a drunken frat boy makes good. They had taken a man whose name is synonymous with ignorance, whose claim to fame is 135 executions in Texas, whose sole qualification for office was a deep and abiding interest in serving corporate America and made him President.

For the next four years, Bush will march along the path of Clinton and Gore, but with fewer attempts to hide his agenda. Bush is a yes-man for big banks, big oil and big money – a small-minded person whose idea of a joke is to mock a religious woman on death row in Texas, “Pleasssse don't kill me,” said Bush to his pals.

Bush is proposing gigantic tax cuts for the rich, even though more taxes are imposed on working people.

Bush will try to privatize what the Democrats could not. Expect more sky-high electricity and gas bills for your homes. The Federal Government will be busy spending your tax dollars on what the Military-Industrial Complex wants-a first strike nuclear attack system. The so-called “Missile Defense Shield”, aimed mainly at China, will spark a new arms race. Bush's war spending is sure to be above the $305 billion that Clinton and Gore raised it to last year.

Bush will talk about “compassionate conservatism” while the poor and the elderly, especially oppressed nationalities and immigrants fall through the holes cut in the social safety net. Those holes were cut by Clinton and Gore. As the economy goes sour, more families, especially women and children, will find themselves homeless. Members of Bush's cabinet want to fund religious groups who will “help” the homeless. Many of these groups are poverty pimps and will impose their will on poor people and keep people poor so they can stay in business. Bush will also try to privatize the Social Security system, making retirement uncertain for some and impossible for others.

The Bush presidency will shore up North American Free Trade Agreement and try to consolidate a Latin American economic bloc, making workers everywhere poorer, lowering health standards, and destroying more of the environment. At the same time, Bush will try extend the U.S. domination and control over Asia, Africa, the former USSR, and the Middle East.

Bush's father, the former President, was the “Butcher of Baghdad” – he rained down death and destruction on the people of Iraq. Clinton managed to kill more than Bush Sr. with the sanctions and his air war. We can expect more of the same from the new administration.

At home, workers and oppressed nationalities can expect attacks on their jobs and unions, on welfare rights, and on affirmative action. We can expect more executions and higher imprisonment rates because of the phony “War On Drugs.” The police will continue to target Black, Chicano/Latino, Asian and Native communities. Bush will try to roll back the gains made by women – he will do everything in his power to attack reproductive rights.

All the attacks under Clinton will continue to under Bush. One way of looking at is this: Clinton and Gore were enemies of the American people. Bush is Clinton-plus.

So, what is the battle plan? We must take to the streets like the protesters at the Bush inauguration! We must encourage workers to support union organizing and picket lines, do our part in getting working people together in our communities to stop racist police brutality, especially against Blacks and Latinos; protest until Congress stops funding U.S. War in Colombia; and rally to stop the execution of Mumia Abu Jamal! We must do the hard work of building movements for basic social change.

Bush is in the White House, we are in the streets!

#UnitedStates #Editorial #Editorials #PeoplesStruggles #electionFraud #electoralCollege #SupremeCourt

Members of Local 743 remember the stolen 2004 elections very well. They might recall a flier distributed with statements by one of his supporters. It read, “I am for Mr. Walston because as a true union leader, he puts the union and the members first.”

The 2004 flier went on, “I support and endorse Local President Robert Walston and am confident in Mr. Walston and the entire 743 Unity Slate. I believe that their honesty, fairness, experience and toughness will best serve this local and our membership.”

Putting the interests of the members above his own; an honest man; a fair man; a tough union leader with experience; Walston sounded great, didn’t he?

The Real Bob Walston – A Gangster

In his March 23 plea, Walston admits that in 2004 he and his co-conspirators, including Richard Lopez, the recording secretary on the 743 Unity Slate, knowingly conspired to use the United States mails to steal and convert to their own use property and other assets of Local 743.

In the plea agreement, Walston explains exactly how his gang stole ballots from hundreds of members of the local, in two consecutive elections, to ‘vote’ them for his Unity Slate. In the plea, he names the others who were involved – Cassandra Mosley, Ted Bania, David Rodriquez and Mark Jones – his loyal supporters.

Walston admits that the cost to the members in salaries and benefits for their slate was $2.2 million over the three-year terms of office.

And he admits to having set out in May 2007 with a cousin of staff member Rodriquez to purchase five kilos of coke for $150,000.

Members of the local who supported the reformers in the 743 New Leadership Slate have known for years that the old guard in the local were gangsters. Richard Berg was elected in 2007 after Walston and his gang were indicted – and prevented from stealing another election. With that, a degree of justice came to the union members. This guilty plea and resulting jail time for Walston is a little more.

#ChicagoIL #News #Teamsters #TeamstersLocal743 #electionFraud #gangsters #cocaine

When the Local 743 officials realized they had no chance to win a fair election against the 743 New Leadership Slate, they pulled every trick in the book to steal the election and ensure that they held on to their cushy jobs.

The incumbents hired James Dehann to be a ‘ghost election officer.’ They then ordered him to stay in Michigan and not answer any phone calls or mail from rank-and-file Local 743 members during the course of the election, which he was supposedly conducting.

Union officials proceeded to blatantly violate election rules set in Local 743’s bylaws, the International union’s constitution and even rules that they themselves had set. When all else failed, they issued themselves a key to the election ballot box and stole hundreds of ballots. Unfortunately for them, they got caught.

The opposition, the 743 New Leadership Slate, went through the channels of official protest. First they filed charges with Teamster Local 743, then with the Teamsters Joint Council 25, then with International President Jimmy Hoffa and, finally, with the Teamsters International Executive Board. In each case, union officials refused to give serious consideration to the overwhelming evidence, even the blatant theft of ballots.

Teamsters Local 743 President Robert Walston thought he could do as he pleased because Jimmy Hoffa and his allies tolerate multiple levels of corruption by their supporters. They are opposed to the 743 New Leadership Slate because it has campaigned on getting rid of Jimmy Hoffa and organized crime. There is a pattern of sell-out union officials linked with organized crime dominating Local 743.

The 743 New Leadership Slate has vowed to turn the union back to the rank and file, to stop ‘sweetheart’ agreements and to mobilize the workers.

“We are sick and tired of union officials making deals with management,” said Richard Berg, the 743 New Leadership Slate’s candidate for president of Local 743, “We will not rest until every member of this local union has affordable health insurance for their families, decent wages and a good pension. This will never happen until the workers take back this union.”

The 743 New Leadership State is confident that if they get a new election that they can beat the Walston-Hoffa old guard officials. “No reputable Teamster supports them,” said Tony Caldera, 743 New Leadership candidate for vice president. “When we get a fair election, it will not even be close. They are discredited among the workers.”

Judge Gettleman’s ruling is a huge victory for the reform movement. After the election theft, the 743 New Leadership Slate pursued every means open to them. They continue to organize and mobilize workers while pursuing legal avenues. The 743 New Leadership Slate has been working with Chicago National Lawyers Guild attorneys Jeff Naffziger and James Fennerty, as well as renowned Teamster reform attorney Thomas Geoghegan.

“The New Leadership Slate understands that the courts can help get a fairer election, but that they have to win it. This huge legal victory we hope gives the workers of Local 743 a chance to take back their union,” said the Chicago chapter president of the National Lawyers Guild, James Fennerty.

#ChicagoIL #News #Teamsters #TeamstersLocal743 #electionFraud

Chicago, IL – They tried to steal the Teamsters Local 743 election and they were caught red handed. Bob Walston, Diane Strickland and the rest of the 743 old guard officers could not win an election on their own, so they resorted to cheating. The election race pitted the rank-and-file New Leadership Slate against the corrupt, mob-tied, old guard.

“Thieves steal, this is a fact of life,” said Richard Berg, the reform candidate for President on the 743 New Leadership Slate, “but the working members of Local 743 will not and cannot let these thieves steal our union from us. Local 743 is our union; it does not belong to the boss, or the mafia, but only to the workers. We will not allow justice, democracy or our dignity to be stolen. We will fight this until the end.”

Jimmy Hoffa, Jr., who heads the International Teamsters, backed the Walston slate and is known as a sell-out.

Robbery!

The stealing of the election was not particularly clever. They hired their own guy, James Dehann, to run the election. Instead of Dehann renting the post office boxes used in the election, he allowed Hoffa slate member Diane Strickland to do it. This gave her 24-hour access to members' ballots.

When 743 New Leadership Slate members surprised Dehann and Hoffa slate members by showing up in big numbers to observe each part of the process, they could not hide their theft. “We found that over 300 returned ballots had disappeared under their watch. Hundreds of extra printed ballots showed up out of nowhere,” said Richard Berg.

On the day of the count, Dehann needed to resort to extraordinary measures to prevent the 743 New Leadership Slate from taking office. For example, he would not allow anyone except himself to challenge questionable votes. The Walston-appointed election officer, in clear violation of the Teamsters constitution, threw out the standard practice of allowing all parties involved to challenge the ballots. When Richard Berg pointed out their misdeeds, Dehann threatened to have him arrested and thrown off union property.

This theft is one a series of thefts committed by the current officers. These same people drove the Local 743 Credit Union to bankruptcy after many questionable loans to their cronies. Under their watch, over $16 million disappeared from the Local 743 Health and Welfare Fund, leaving it insolvent, too.

“Everyone knows their game, they can no longer win a fair election,” said 743 New Leadership Slate member Edwin Soto, “that is why they must resort to these measures.”

Fight Continues

The 743 New Leadership Slate has vowed to fight this latest theft by the Hoffa slate to the end. The 743 New Leadership Slate has filed charges with the Teamsters Joint Council and is preparing to go to the Department of Labor and to the courts. “We know we won this election,” said Debra Simmons, candidate for Secretary Treasurer on the 743 New Leadership Slate, “we will not stop until these corrupt officials have been removed from Local 743.”

The real issue is representation. In all of the 175-plus shops where members of Local 743 work, a contract spells out everything from rates of pay to work rules to grievance procedures and more. “These people haven't negotiated a decent contract since they were appointed,” said Richard Berg, “the members of Local 743 know they are in bed with management and we are sick and tired of it. We won't rest until they are gone.”

During the campaign, the New Leadership Slate outlined a plan to stop the corruption in Local 743, make Local officers more accountable to the members and start spending dues money on the members – instead lining the pockets of a few Hoffa officers.

#ChicagoIL #News #Teamsters #TeamstersLocal743 #NewLeadershipSlate #BobWalston #electionFraud

Robert Walston joins his immediate successor Richard Lopez in indictment for participation in a criminal conspiracy to rob hundreds of Teamsters members of their right to vote in two elections, one occurring in October 2004 and the other in December 2004. Several of the indictments focus on the second rerun election which was called when it was evident that reform candidate Richard Berg and the 743 New Leadership Slate would win. Berg and the New Leadership Slate won the 2007 election, which was supervised by the Department of Labor.

The charge further states that Walston and Lopez shall forfeit “approximately $2,364,533 in authorized salary, expenses and benefits…for the period of January 2005 to December 2007.”

“That chapter of Teamsters 743 is almost over and a new one is beginning,” said current 743 president Richard Berg. “We will move forward with the task of making this a real union again. Members can now participate freely.”

#ChicagoIL #News #Teamsters #TeamstersLocal743 #RobWalston #electionFraud #RichardLopez

Chicago, IL – A cheer rang out Oct. 22 as the U.S. Department of Labor announced the winners of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) officers’ election for Local 743. Richard Berg and the 743 New Leadership Slate beat the incumbent Ford-Galvan Unity Slate. After twelve years of difficult and sometimes frustrating campaigning, a new day is dawning in Local 743.

Since its founding, Local 743 has seen a tremendous amount of mob-related corruption. Don Peters ruled the union without any elections until he was banned in 1987. Robert Simpson was appointed his replacement and served as president until he too was banned in 1995. The 743 New Leadership Slate was formed so that the members could fight back against this corruption and collaboration with the bosses.

After the 743 New Leadership Slate won the October 2004 election, the incumbent officials called a ‘do-over’ election in December. Former 743 old-guard president Richard Lopez, along with Mark Jones, Cassandra Mosely and David Rodriques are now being charged with embezzlement for diverting ballots to friends and family members who were not eligible to vote, in order to steal the do-over election from the New Leadership Slate three years ago. It looks like more indictments may be yet to come. This election has removed these corrupt officials from power and given the members and their slate control of the union.

Union members and volunteers have worked around the clock, visiting work sites and talking to workers. President-elect Richard Berg said, “We waged this campaign by gathering together workers who wanted to fight, who wanted to take back the union to fight the boss. The members of 743 built this campaign because we could no longer stand aside while this do-nothing, company union continued to dig us into a hole.”

With the supervision of the Department of Labor in conducting this election, the incumbent officials weren’t able to cheat quite as much this time around. There were reports of underhanded dealings, however. New Leadership Slate trustee Joe Sexauer said, “Union workers at a nursing home reported that the Ford-Galvan Slate and their supporters were asking members to turn their ballots into them, saying they would, ‘take care of them.’ We know this wasn’t the only place this happened.” Despite all of this the New Leadership Slate was able to mobilize the voices of the members and win the election.

The newly elected officers will take office in January. Richard Berg said, “We need to make this union work for the members. For too long this union has worked for the companies and the mob. We need more stewards and we need more steward elections. We need to train better business agents and we need to educate the membership as to their rights.”

Larry Davis, vice-president-elect, said, “We are going to make 743 into a union the members can be proud of, a fighting union that is looking out for them. The members’ victory today was only the first step. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, but we are up to the challenge.”

#ChicagoIL #Chicago #News #Teamsters #TeamstersLocal743 #NewLeadershipSlate #electionFraud

On the heels of Walston’s resignation, Lopez has just been indicted for stealing the last election. Three other former business agents were also charged with conspiracy to commit fraud. It is very likely that they will face jail time for their crimes. It is also quite possible that other corrupt officials will follow them.

Cleaning up the Corruption in Teamsters 743

This is good news for members of Teamsters Local 743, which has a sordid history of mob related corruption. Don Peters, who had ruled the local without holding any elections for 40 years was banned for corruption in 1987. Robert Simpson was appointed his replacement and served as president of the local until he was also banned in 1995. The 743 New Leadership Slate was formed to fight back against this corruption and to stand up for the true interests of members.

Now all of their crimes and collaboration are catching up with them. In 2004, with the 743 New Leadership Slate winning the election, Walston used his powers as Local 743 president to call a ‘do-over’ election. Now Lopez and others are being charged with fraudulently diverting ballots from union members to friends and family who were

not eligible to vote. They are also charged with stealing the ballots and embezzlement. They stole the do-over elections and they got caught.

Teamsters Local 743 is home to about 13,000 members, many of whom have worked for years for low wages and little or no benefits. This is due to the collaboration of these corrupt union officials with the bosses. Since the era of Don Peters, IBT 743 has operated as a company union at the expense of many of its members, selling them out on behalf of the factories, warehouses, health care facilities and other companies.

743 New Leadership Slate – Fighting for the Members

New elections are under way in IBT 743, with ballots due in to be counted on Oct. 22. Due to all of the shady dealings of the last elections, the Department of Labor is stepping in to run the election. The 743 New Leadership Slate is in the running against the ‘Ford-Galvan Unity Slate.’ Jose Galvan served as vice-president under former president Robert Walston. Reginald Ford served as trustee.

Richard Berg, presidential candidate for the 743 New Leadership Slate, says, “The Ford-Galvan gang have been nothing but a ball and chain for working people in the union They’ve negotiated give-backs and sweetheart contracts for employers. Now we have a solid chance to get rid of these crooks and take back our union. We will then be able to build Local 743 into a real union that represents its members.”

The 743 New Leadership Slate is gearing up for an aggressive campaign to take back the union from the clutches of the bosses and their collaborators. The corrupt officials are now set up for a big fall. New Leadership Slate organizers are working day and night, going to workplaces and talking to workers, building their campaign to make sure that members come out of this election with a fighting union.

#ChicagoIL #News #Teamsters #TeamstersLocal743 #NewLeadershipSlate #RobWalston #electionFraud

“You bet they voted,” said Larry Jones a certified nurses aid at Frankfort Terrace Nursing Home, “Our boss knows sellout union officials when he sees them; that’s why the union sent them the ballots in the first place.” To compound their crime, when they were caught, they destroyed the evidence.

Federal law requires unions to keep election records for one year after the election, but according to what Local 743 submitted to the judge, “Thaddeus Bania, controller of Local 743, shredded the eligibility list used during the December 2004 election.”

Why did Local 743 finally admit their crimes? To avoid further embarrassment and harsher punishment. Local 743 President Walston and his executive board, including Reggie Ford and Richard Lopez, spent hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Local 743 treasury to delay a trial that would prove their guilt. When Judge Kennelly set a trial date for August 27, 2007, the Local went running to the U.S. Department of Labor looking for a settlement.

The Department of Labor insisted that Local 743 admit guilt in misdirecting ballots in the 2004 election. Because they stole the election from Local 743 members and the 743 New Leadership Slate (NLS), the Department of Labor will nullify the 2004 election and supervise a new election this fall.

The local union has long been viewed as corrupt both by its own members and Teamster observers. “It is a shame that they have gotten away with this for so long,” said Adrian Esqivel, a clerical worker at the University of Chicago, “We get paid too little and have to pay too much for health insurance because we have a company union that is in bed with the university.”

The real winner of the 2004 election probably should have been the 743 New Leadership Slate. After having the election stolen from them, they went back to the rank and file. “Where we could, we helped other members of Local 743 file grievances and fight for a better contracts,” said 743 NLS presidential candidate Richard Berg.

Berg said that these efforts were often blocked by union officials. When workers at the University of Chicago drafted 743 New Leadership Slate supporter Joe Sexauer to run for union steward, the union ignored their request for an election, in violation of Local 743 bylaws. “They would rather have no union steward, no representation at all for the workers than someone from the 743 NLS,” said Sexauer, who has filed internal charges against Local 743 President Walston and business agent Thor Hester.

“The workers in this union know what is going on, they know it is time for a change,” said Richard Berg, “That is why we are going to get rid of these corrupt union officers once and for all. We are going to make this a real union, a union where workers are proud to be Teamsters again.”

#ChicagoIL #News #Teamsters #TeamstersLocal743 #NewLeadershipSlate #electionFraud

Chicago, IL – Richard Berg stood with workers who are members of Teamsters Local 743 in front of the Russian Turkish Bathhouse on Division Street. “This place is run by the mob. Everyone knows it,” stated Berg, presidential candidate for the Teamsters Local 743 reform group, the New Leadership Slate (NLS). “Our local is run by gangsters as well. We want it back.”

The reform group held the press conference to announce that it is suing Local 743 officers on behalf of the 13,000 members of Local 743. Berg said, “Local 743 President Robert Walston and the rest of the board have spent many thousands of dollars of our money to cover up their wrongdoings. We demand that they pay back this money to Local 743 members, resign their positions and let the rightful winners take office.”

The New Leadership Slate obtained documents from the U.S. Department of Labor that detail how the executive board of Teamsters Local 743 misdirected many hundreds of ballots in bundles to friends, loyal stewards and even the infamous Russian Turkish Bathhouse. These ballots were used to provide the margin of victory in the most recent Local 743 officers’ election.

The Russian Turkish Bathhouse was cited by the Chicago Tribune and Teamsters anti-organized crime chief Edward Steir as mob owned. The Tribune cited it as the secret meeting place of Local 743 president Robert Walston and banned former president Robert Simpson

In an attempt to cover up their wrongdoing, the heads of Local 743 destroyed election documents that the law requires saving for a period of no less than one year. Since stealing the election, Local 743 Secretary Treasurer Diane Strickland has resigned. “And the rest are in trouble,” said NLS supporter Debra Simmons, “Reggie Ford and Bob Walston’s days are numbered.”

The 743 New Leadership Slate is represented by attorney Thomas Geoghegan. The NLS is utilizing its rights under the provisions of Title V of the Labor Management Reporting Act to recover union monies Robert Walston, Reggie Ford and others agents of Local 743 used to defend their theft of ballots.

The New Leadership Slate is also running a slate of delegate candidates to represent Local 743 with honest leaders at the International Brotherhood of Teamsters convention. They support Tom Leedham for president of the International Brotherhood Teamsters.

#ChicagoIL #News #Teamsters #TeamstersLocal743 #NewLeadershipSlate #RichardBerg #electionFraud

A suit was filed by the Department of Labor on Aug. 12. It charges Local 743 president Walston and the other officers of Local 743 with election fraud and other illegal violations. The complaint in federal court states they, “denied members the right to vote when Defendant mailed members’ ballots to incorrect addresses, the ballots were marked by individuals other than the designated recipients, and the ballots were returned and counted in the election tally.”

In plain language, Walston’s gang stole ballots from working Teamsters. Then they cast these ballots for themselves. They have done this for several consecutive elections. “We know this because we have caught them – several times!” said executive board candidate Esmeralda Cuevas of 743 NLS. “Finally the government is doing something about it.”

On Oct. 16, 2004, ballots were being counted by Walston and his executive board. Despite their rigging of the election, Richard Berg, leader of the 743 NLS was ahead in the count. Walston stopped counting the votes with just the challenged ballots remaining. The gangsters then cooked up an excuse to conduct a second election.

Hoffa Backs Up the Gangsters

743 NLS challenged their crime, but Teamsters International President James Hoffa’s refused to stop Walston. After that, 743 NLS asked the Labor Department to take the case.

“Hoffa is a joke,” said 743 NLS Secretary Treasurer candidate Tony Caldera. “He looked the other way while his good buddy Walston stole the election from 12,000 workers in Local 743.”

Hoffa will be running for reelection next year. “Hoffa shouldn’t expect to get any votes from Local 743,” said Caldera. “He had his chance. His name doesn’t have any influence here. Hoffa and Walston just take our dues money and make deals with the boss. We need a change.”

743 New Leadership Slate: The Rightful Winners

The Department of Labor suit calls for a new election that they would be run by the DOL, instead of officers of the local.

743 NLS presidential candidate Richard Berg said, “It is time for the rightful winners of the election to take office and it is time for those who stole the election to be prosecuted.

Berg went on to outline a plan to revive the local. “We need to create industrial standards in healthcare, in education, for clerical workers as well as for factory workers. We need to let the companies know that if they try to make us pay too much for health insurance, if they try to pay us too little, if they mess with any of our benefits or if they disrespect us in any way, then they will have a real fight on their hands. Being a Teamster has to mean something again.”

#ChicagoIL #News #Teamsters #TeamstersLocal743 #NewLeadershipSlate #RobWalston #electionFraud #stolenBallots

“We know how they did it,” declared Richard Berg, the reform candidate for president with the New Leadership Slate (NLS). “The union hacks threatened workers would lose their jobs if they didn’t vote for the current officers,” charged Berg, “And the election monitor collaborated with them. For example, she refused to allow us to see the ballots returned for bad addresses. In the election in October, they stole these ballots and tried to vote them.”

The rank-and-file workers in the NLS stopped the theft of the officers’ election two months ago by catching the old guard stealing those ballots. Then the criminals made up an excuse to stop the vote count and called for a new election.

“We doubled our efforts and increased our turnout by 50%. The Unity Slate increased their turnout by 110%. We know they don’t have this kind of support among the union members,” explained Tony Caldera, candidate for secretary treasurer with the NLS. Marcela Garcia, NLS vice-presidential candidate, remarked on what she found in her visits to factories throughout the union, “Every Latino, every immigrant, every worker we have talked to told us they were supporting us.”

Despite the setback, Garcia and other Silver Capital workers will continue to fight for the rights of immigrant workers. “The struggle continues, in this corrupt union and across this country, and we will be there, building a fighting workers’ movement.”

“We are on our way to turning this union back over to the members,” announced Berg. “Our victory in the Oct. 16 election is proof that we are the winners and Bob Walston and his gang are thieves, and losers.

#ChicagoIL #News #Teamsters #NewLeadershipSlate #RichardBerg #BobWalston #electionFraud

The thugs behind the desk hollered, “Your company closed. You’re no longer members of this union. You can’t vote in the election.”

Within an hour, the thugs came back to the front door. “Silver Capital workers can all come in.” Their efforts to block participation by these workers were countered by the reformers in the 743 New Leadership Slate (NLS). By the end of the day, the tough guys were sweating as they watched the vote count pile up a victory for the NLS.

Immigrant Workers Stand Up To Company and Union Sellouts

Two months earlier, 150 workers at the Silver Capital factory in the Chicago suburb of Bedford Park had listened to their so-called representative tell them their company was closing. “They had negotiated a deal in secret,” said Marcela Garcia. “Then they handed us the severance agreement and said, ‘Take it or leave it.’”

For the bureaucrats in Local 743, deal making like this is standard operating procedure.

What happened next was a shock to the sellouts. The Silver Capital workers, all immigrants, and many undocumented workers, declared a one-day strike against the company and the union officials. They demanded an end to collusion between the union and the company, who were carrying out a plan together against the workers.

Following this, the reformers in the New Leadership Slate came to offer their support. “The treatment of immigrant workers at Silver Capital shows the worst side of the old guard in Local 743,” said Tony Caldera. Caldera, a candidate with the NLS and an immigrant worker himself, also works at a factory represented by Local 743. He too has seen the union representatives sell out the interests of his co-workers on many occasions.

Caldera told the Silver Capital workers the NLS would stand by them and support them in their fight. He told them that their best chance for justice was to join the NLS. In response, Marcela Garcia was chosen vice-presidential candidate.

Silver Capital: A Symbol for Immigrant Labor

Since then, these rank-and-file workers have become very well known among the workers of Local 743, as well as immigrant workers in general in the Chicago area. Tens of thousands of immigrants from Mexico and other countries work in the low wage factories in and around Chicago. Besides low wages and bad working conditions, they share the experiences of being sold out by unions. These unions collect their dues and provide little or no representation. Workers continue to receive low wages, few raises and minimal benefits. Spanish and Polish speaking members in Local 743 have fought for years just to receive their contracts in their languages.

Jose Galvan, the representative who sold out the Silver Capital workers, went further than this. When undocumented workers protested the lousy offer he handed them, he threatened to call immigration.

One of the workers, Josefina, said this was just the latest act of intimidation. “For years they have treated us with disrespect because we are immigrants.”

The NLS is committed to helping the Silver Capital workers find jobs at other companies represented by the Local, and funding training for those workers who aren’t able to benefit from programs offered by the Labor Department. Richard Berg, presidential candidate of the New Leadership Slate said, “When we win, justice for the Silver Capital workers will be among our top priorities.”

#ChicagoIL #ImmigrantRights #News #Teamsters #TeamstersLocal743 #SilverCapital #electionFraud #undocumented

The current officers stopped the ballot count in the first election. “Everybody knows why. They were losing,” declared Donny Von Moore, a supporter of the opposition 743 New Leadership Slate (NLS).

When Local 743 President Walston ended the ballot count on Oct. 18, the NLS was ahead by a slim margin. There were disputed ballots, but many of those were ballots cast by the Silver Capital workers. These votes were certain to go for the NLS. The old-guard candidate for vice president, Jose Galvan, had sold out these workers earlier this year. [See related article.]

The gangsters stole the election three years ago to get into office. This fall, they were looking at the end of their cushy jobs with six figure salaries. They had to come up with an excuse to call off the election. Grasping at straws, they declared that the election was so flawed that the members wouldn’t see it as legitimate. They ordered a new one.

The Teamsters for a Democratic Union called it, “A Chicago twist on an old trick: Vote until you get it right.” The officers’ action was based on a protest filed by Richard Berg. Berg is the presidential candidate of the NLS. He described how the officials had dismissed many protests he filed, and then chose to grant one and order a new election when they faced defeat. “Think about it. They’re saying ‘stop the election because we’re so corrupt and incompetent, this election couldn’t possibly be fair.’”

Marcela Garcia, a leader of the Silver Capital workers who is running for office with the NLS, said, “We will win again. We know the immigrant workers, all the workers, are supporting us.”

Earlier, the NLS had caught the union’s secretary treasurer, Diane Strickland, stealing ballots to vote for the old-guard ‘Unity Slate.’ Hundreds of returned ballots had disappeared from a secure mailbox. When the NLS investigated, they found that Strickland had illegally checked out two keys from the post office. Later, almost 100 of these stolen ballots showed up, cast for the current officers.

Tony Caldera, NLS candidate for secretary treasurer, said, “We caught them red handed. We know they stole many other votes, but we beat them anyway. If they hadn’t stolen votes, we would have beat them two to one. They have no support among the workers.”

Berg has said to supporters at rallies ever since the first vote count, “Beating the Walston gang is a tremendous victory for workers in this local. The corruption of the old guard is clear to everyone. No matter what happens next, we’re on our way to taking this union back for the members.”

#ChicagoIL #News #Teamsters #TeamstersLocal743 #NewLeadershipSlate #BobWalston #SilverCapital #electionFraud

Chicago, IL – Rank-and-file workers will rally Oct. 7 to stop an attempt by the corrupt leaders of Teamsters Local 743 to steal the election for union officers. The rally will take place at Teamster City, 300 S Ashland at 4:30 p.m.

323 ballots for the officers' election in this corrupt union disappeared this week from a secure mailbox at the post office. The secretary treasurer of the union was the only person with a key. Reformers are charging theft and demanding a new election.

The union mailed out ballots to 11,700 addresses on Sept. 22. On Oct. 4, Richard Berg, presidential candidate for the New Leadership Slate, accompanied the election monitor to the post office to retrieve returned (undelivered) ballots. They learned that Diane Strickland, secretary treasurer of Local 743 had obtained a key to the post office box. The election monitor confirmed that this was not proper and that only the election monitor should have a key. Later, at the union’s hall, Berg learned that a second key had also been issued to Diane Strickland.

Over 300 ballots 'disappeared' from the post office box. This number is the difference between the returns of literature mailed for the New Leadership Slate and the ballots picked up by the monitor. The Slate’s literature and the ballots were mailed on the same day, with the same list, by the same mail house.

“It is clear that hundreds of ballots have been removed from the post office box,” said Berg. “The election has been seriously compromised. The incumbent slate has illegally obtained a key, and approximately 300 ballots have subsequently disappeared from the box.”

Three years ago, Berg lost the officers election by little more than 200 votes. The New Leadership Slate charged that election was stolen. Their evidence included the disappearance of hundreds of ballots and the fact that a key was improperly issued to Diane Strickland as well.

The New Leadership Slate and the Silver Capital Workers are calling for the election to be rerun under independent supervision and for Diane Strickland – and anyone acting in concert with her to subvert the election – to be banned from the election.

Marcela Garcia, a laid-off Silver Capital worker and vice presidential candidate with the New Leadership Slate, said that the officers of the union are again denying rights to the workers from her former employer. “We have the right to vote – to vote for union officers and to vote on our contract. They denied us the right to vote on the contract they negotiated with our company. Now they are stealing this election. They think we can be treated this way because we are immigrants. We want our votes to count.”

#ChicagoIL #ImmigrantRights #News #Teamsters #TeamstersLocal743 #RichardBerg #SilverCapital #electionFraud