 My name is Ray Connors. I have been a member of Local 150 for
40 years. For 17 years I had the honor of serving
the members
of Local 150, 4 years as a business agent and 13 years as
Financial Secretary. Two years ago I retired from my job, but I
will never retire from my local. I have been asked many times
since my retirement, why I retired. Well, the heart of the
matter is that I no longer wanted to be part of an
administration that was led by someone whose own self interest
was more important than the interests of those I represented. I
could not do my job for the members with Bill Dugan and his “yes
men” undermining what was good and honorable about our local.
Unlike many of the others you will hear talking about
the issues of this election, I have no personal or political
agenda. My only concern is for the local itself. I’m proud of
our local. It’s a great local and I want it always to be that
way. My family has been a Local 150 family for 4 generations.
My grandfather, father, and three brothers were operating
engineers. So are my son and several nephews, cousins, and
in-laws. Ironically, it was my Uncle Arthur Jorsch who was so
instrumental in getting Bill Dugan into Local 150 so many years
ago. I believe that Uncle Art would be appalled by the things
that are occurring in our local under Bill Dugan. He, like so
many others, would agree that it is time for Local 150 to have a
change in leadership. I have worked with Joe Ward for many
years. He is an honorable man, with only the best interests of
our members at heart. He is committed to turning our local from
Bill Dugan’s self-centered “path”, and leading us to a more
secure future.
I bear no personal animosity toward Bill Dugan; in fact
it saddens me when I think of how his lust for power and his
greed have changed him over the years. His administration did
accomplish some really worthwhile things during the early
years. But we can’t just sit back and keep patting ourselves on
the back for what we have achieved in the past.
I could tell you about all the greedy, manipulative,
self-centered things I’ve seen Bill Dugan do with the power that
he wields and the money that he controls in our local. But
there are other important issues at stake here. Issues like our
under funded pensions and increasingly complicated and expensive
health and welfare coverage. Issues like obscene amounts of
money spent on attorneys, and on a training site that was
planned and built as a memorial to Bill Dugan, while ignoring
the real needs of our members. Issues like organizing campaigns
and illegal strike maneuvers that throw good money after bad,
and end up costing us millions in law suits because Bill Dugan
and his organizers are so arrogant they will not admit that
further action would produce nothing more for our members.
Issues like political contributions that are wasted on non labor
candidates. Issues like wages, cars, and expense accounts for
business agents whose only qualification is that they will serve
Bill Dugan and spread his propaganda. There are also Bill
Dugan’s unfair voting practices on controversial issues, secret
and dishonest policies that are perpetrated behind the scenes,
and a total lack of integrity.
I hope you will ignore the non-issues and distractions
from the truth that Bill Dugan and his slate continue to spread.
Pay attention to those issues that will shape your futures and
those of your families. Remember that I have worked with Bill
Dugan and his people, and I know how they think. They are
sneaky and will do and say anything to win this election and
keep their jobs. Because they have no real issues on which to
run, and cannot defend the deplorable things that they have
done, they are resorting to a sleaze campaign of frivolous
lawsuits and lies and false innuendoes against Joe Ward. Bill
Dugan and his slate are not honorable men. For this reason they
think that our members are not able to see the truth. The
future of our local depends upon our members looking beyond
their tactics and seeking out this truth.
I encourage each of you to attend a Team 150 Rally.
Listen to what Team 150 has to say. You won’t hear personal
attacks against their opponents or attempts to misdirect the
issues. What you will hear are specific plans and ideas to make
our local a better and more prosperous local for all of our
members, not just for those who use their power for their own
benefit. Plans that will make Local 150 a local that serves all
of its members, not just Bill Dugan and those who “take care of
him”.
Think about
it #6
Think about
it #7
Think about
it #8
Think about
it #9
Think
about it #10
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about it #11
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about it #12
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about it #13
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about it #14
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about it #15
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about it #16
Think about it #17
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A weekly newsletter by Ray Connors
I know that many
of the members of Local 150 (perhaps the majority) are not
especially political. You don’t particularly care what color
hat is worn, may have never attended an election rally, nor do
you usually pay much attention to the internal goings on of the
local. You simply want to be able to go to work, do your job,
and be treated fairly and honestly.
However, the time has come when not only do you need to
think about being treated fairly and honestly by your employer,
but also about being treated fairly and honestly by Local 150’s
administration. Your job, and thus your futures and that of
your families are at stake. Each of you deserves to hear the
truth.
Each week I will be submitting a newsletter to this web
site. Each will present to you the facts about the important
issues in the upcoming election. Each newsletter will cover one
issue, briefly, simply, and truthfully. I encourage you to
visit this site each week, spend just a few minutes learning the
truth and then, THINK ABOUT IT.
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