"Barbie" @ Local 513, by Seumas McCombie

There was a barbie before the meeting with many union members from out of town, Vancouver, Castlegar; local 513 thanks you for the massive support and a get to know one another discussing the questions at hand; plenty to eat with only "fissie" stuff to drink, but not enough to stomach Mr. McCarron , an impressive man well groomed and a wee bit arrogant with an American drawl, his two cronies to his right, one I believe was a Mr. Smith with a slight Irish accent, to his far right the union was represented by Mr. Flynn who has lost his, another representative I misplace his name at this time my apology and Mr. Embree who opened the meeting and welcomed everybody, showing at the time, and being a wee bit hot under the collar I would certainly agree with his inner feelings, secondly addressed Mr. McCarron with the two fundamental questions that were in large and overwhelming writing on a huge placard placed on the dominant back wall to engulf Mr. McCarron as he entered this forbidding meeting place.

There was a certain uneasiness at that table while awaiting the commencement, Mr. McCarron turned towards the placard, his gaze returned to the aggressive union members who with many Canadian flags and placards promoting our solidarity,  pronounced NO to both questions. There was a hell of a halibalu and the room cleared fast without any discussion at all. There was decidedly uneasiness and sweat was very pronounced on the foreheads of his two supporting members from Victoria and Nanaimo. The members retired to the back of Echo Centre for a pep talk and to unite for tomorrow's hopefully aborted meeting in Naniamo.

A few members conversed with Mr. McCarron including myself. He is quite adamant that his restructure is the only way to go. MY impression he is non other than a corporate dictator. I question Mr. McCarron on the fundamental beginnings of unionism, Why, where and when was unionism born, this he could not answer, started to blabber about somewhere in Europe people got together, I replied to Mr. McCarron if you don't know the fundamentals of unionism what are you doing at this meeting, Mr Smith tried to help him out on this simple question and his rep on his far right was also doing a wee bit of prompting in the background, although to give him his due Mr. Smith was partly correct.

If Mr. McCarron had no knowledge of how determined we are in our solidarity in our three unions he sure as hell knows now. and I hope they have a good night 's sleep in preparation for tomorrow's hell. I shall close with by saying lets not be one for one but all for all, and you all be having the rest of the day to your self.

Seumas, member local 513 this is how I saw it, others have the privilege to disagree.
Web page http://www.island.net/~macduff2/ a woodworking web site a wee look costs nothing.

From UBC Rank & File May 2000 Midwest Edition
"The Voice of the Working Carpenter"

On July 7th, 1999, General President Douglas McCarron, at a local union meeting in Port Alberni, BC, stated in response to a question, that the members would NOT have a vote on deciding rather or not to be restructured into a regional council. McCarron also stated that the members would NOT have a right to vote for the officers and delegates of the regional council. The entire membership at that point, stood up and left the meeting, chanting "vote, vote, vote." The last member out the door turned out the lights, leaving McCarron and his bodyguards sitting in the dark.

In August the British Columbia carpenters initiated their own referendum (despite threats from the international to place them in trusteeship). The results were 98% of the membership voted to Not have a regional council structure. The Canadian government has recognized this referendum as legal, and any attempts by the international to place locals in trusteeship will be in violation of the law. McCarron was so angry about this setback in his grand plan to turn OUR entire international union into a private Labor Ready corporation that he began spreading a rumour that all the BC Canadian carpenters were communists. The ones who appear to be a one-party state with no democracy (communists) are Doug McCarron and the international.

Contact for subscriptions: UBC Rank & File, PO Box 1614, Champaign, Illinois 61826-1614, e-mail: unionyes@soltec.net
(1)Team BC enroute to the Island: Haggarty will have the "hammer"
(2) Jim and Mitch have just the thing for a big 'Mac' attack
(3) Dave Flynn decides to wait for the "goose" to be cooked
(4) Gathering of the Clans
(5) The Local 2736 Millwright contingent arrives
(6) Well dressed Millwrights assure Corky "We can handle it!"
(7) Brothers from the Kootenays unroll their own
(8) One member, one grin; Gerry from 2300
(9) Some members made statements...
(10) ... other brothers carry a message
(11) By 7:05 the it's standing room only
(12) John from Local 1812 stands as a Carpenter for Democracy
(13) Carpenters await the arrival of the International representatives
(14) At 7:30 the meeting is gaveled to order
(15) BC Council President Embree 'cuts to the chase' with two questions:
(16) General President McCarron answers: "No and No to both"
(17) At that, the "hammer" adjournes the meeting
(18) The lights go out as the Carpenters walk out
(19) By 7:37 cameraman Glen packs his gear; few members remain
(20) Some retired brothers still have concerns...
(21) Randy Smith, Local 1995, makes it quite clear - "respect is earned with respect"
(22) At Local Union 513, a barbecue, Canadian style, eh?
A final tailgate meeting with Len and then on to Nanaimo, Duncan and Victoria

"I was treated with a lot of hostility, and I was asked two questions and couldn’t get a dialogue going. I recall the two questions were whether they could vote on restructuring and whether they could vote on the executive of the council prior to it being formed, I believe. And I answered no to both of those, and they walked out of the room and turned off the lights." Doug McCarron -
quoted from testimony in BC Court - see December 02 On The Level

From the Office of GP McCarron \

Things to do today:
Bulldoze 101 Constitution Avenue___
Appoint a bunch of delegates for some State___
Sell Vancouver Island back to the Russians___
Appoint a bunch of delegates for some Local___
Merge Local 513 with yo' mama___
Appoint a bunch of delegates for some Council___
Transfer every cent to Las Vegas___
Appoint a bunch of delegates and send them to Vegas___
Meet with well-dressed contractors___
Appoint a bunch of kids of well-dressed contractors as delegates___
Send more well-dressed delegates to Vegas___
Sell all shares in Canadian electric lighting companies___
Appoint a bunch of Canadian delegates to keep control of the light switches___
Have lunch with well-dressed delegates in Las Vegas___
Appoint all well-dressed people on the plane as delegates to some where___
Crush democracy movements where ever the creeps start yapping about rights___
Appoint delegates to some local where they keep yapping about rights___
Ask secretary how to spell Tienanmen Square ___
Appoint a bunch of delegates that can spell Square___
Fire smart alec secretary___
See if Clinton can bomb the Canadian Embassy next time___
Appoint a bunch of delegates that know how to barbecue better than Local 513
Move Chicago to Las Vegas___Soon___
Sell the Brooklyn Bridge___Again___
Have the EPA take "wildcats" off the endangered species list___
Make a motion for another 5 percent pay hike for everyone that's not on tools___
Ask bulldozer operators how much to level Port Alberni___
Have dinner with well-dressed contractors at Construction Industry Man of the Year Awards___

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