Klein named in receiving unreported payments! See here:
DOL ReportSince 4050 has full time officers AND should be up to date on compliance, including a RETIREE acting as a Unit Vice President, there is no excuse for these reporting violations. Nearly $20k going to officers in improperly or unreported payments is also a problem. After nearly 60 years as a union officer, Klein still is mucking things up! Original Link is here:
DOL Report on DOL SiteTrump is the ONLY candidate with the right position on trade and immigration. His is the platform that will at least give the working class a fighting chance. Union members should demand that THEIR Union supports a candidate like Trump that supports worker friendly policies!
The once proud Installation Bargaining unit is no more. Nokia dissolved the unit. Most Installers were able to qualify for some level of pension. A sorry end to a once great unit.
God Bless America! God Bless Our Troops! Right to Work legislation is now reality in Michigan. While I disagree with this being done without debate, it is my hope that the legislation leads to better accountability among unions, with the CWA at or near the top of the list for improvement.Continue boycotting Huntington Bank! Until they're willing to dump anti-American cars, dump their sorry banking services.
Stay up on the moves of this administration. With mounting debt and already obvious policy failures the only thing that might keep the good ship we call United States together is keeping pressure on Congress to not pass irresponsible legislation. Keep the fight up AGAINST amnesty for illegal aliens. Join NumbersUSA.com AMERICA FIRST!
For those in the Flint area, watch WSMH, Fox 66,as much as you can. Sinclair Broadcasting, owner of WSMH, is under fire for standing up for American ideals. Support Sinclair and stick it to the Commie Pinkos who think a balanced media is a bad thing!
(August 2015)The biggest news for the ever dwindling ranks of Western Electric/Lucent/AlcatelLucent Installers is the recent decision by the company to offer buyouts to those receiving a pension. This is a decision of great importantance to make. My take is that unless you have a dire need for the lump sum, or have another stream of income apart from Social Security, you should stay with the pension. The Pension Fund is fully funded, there is minimal risk to your benefit ever being impaired. Trying to annuitize the lump sum in the current interest rate environment would likely result in a lower monthly benefit and if already retired, the only place to get a better return would be the stock market. Investing in stocks when already retired is fine for a portion of savings, but not for one's primary income stream.
I implore anyone faced with this decision to consider it very carefully. Do not make your decision based on a consultation with a single advisor or salesman alone. Many annuity products have absurdly high commissions and high surrender fees if your circumstances changed and necessitated you having to access your money before the surrender period expired. If you feel driven to take the lump sum and insist on annuitizing it, please consider the low cost products from Fidelity and Vanguard. I wish everyone faced with this difficult choice the best.
I'll no longer be doing periodic updates, I'll only be updating as events occur. The CWA has greatly failed AlcatelLucent employees and retirees. Retirees now pay a great portion of their pension to maintain health care. Most employees voted for this contract in 2004 without understanding how much cost could be placed on the retiree's back. Yet, despite the fact that some pay over $500/month for their insurance, everything the company is doing is per the contract the CWA negotiated and shoved down the memberships throat. As the Installation force dwindles at Lucent, there will be less and less ability to defend the many Western Electric/AT&T/Lucent retirees that are affected. The road ahead is long and, at this point, without much hope. Best of luck to all.
Does it have to be this way? The UAW has fought for retiree health care and recently has gotten their employers to provide the union with funds to manage to ensure that retirees will always have some health care available. Yet, CWA retirees are left to drift while Morty Bahr and Company make rich salaries. The CWA brand of unionism is a corrupt, undemocratic one that gives unions in general a bad name. As Mike Klein represents the local leader who is out of touch and harms the union cause, Morty and those like him do this on a national level. It's OUR union and OUR future. LET'S TAKE IT BACK!
Excellent news this month (Aug 2008): the AlcatelLucent Board of Directors finally acknowledged what everyone else has known for years-that Patricia Russo and Serge Trchuck are incompetent and could not lead the corporation back to growth. Sadly they both leave with rich pay packages which, when their poor performance is considered, is out and out robbery of the company. Hopefully the board will chose a succesor wisely and the long road back to corporate prosperity can begin.
It seems that in the vaunted 2004 negotiation which many, including myself, thought preserved retiree healthcare, that the negotiating team was stupid or paid for. It seems that the Company was able to insert a provision that, if certain legislative language didn't pass in 2006, they could drastically riase the health costs of retirees WITHOUT ANY NEGOTIATION!!!! Guess what? Just as the Company knew, but apparently the union didn't, this legislation had NO chance of passing! I'm certain few, if any, rank and file members who voted for this contract knew of this provision (Thanks CWA, you morons). Now, the Company can shaft the retirees and any strike will be illegal and those that attempt can be fired. The question needs to again be posed....What is the CWA doing for us?!? The honest answer is that they're doing much more harm than good. All those years of paying dues, and in the end most represented retirees will be no better off than salaried retirees, and possibly even worse off becuase they have a lower pension in most cases
CWA, bad for you, bad for everyone
Election results for Local 4050/4090:
Why is a retiree serving as a Unit Vice President in our union? Shouldn't a union rep at least be able to vote on contracts that affect membership? The time for Mike Klein to go has long since passed. He takes steps detrimental to the membership to keep a position he is not entitled to. Mike, go away, your day is past done!
Wishing a enjoyable Spring to all. Even though we've been sold out by our union, it's still important to remember the contribution Labor has made for our great nation. Also keep in mind those who are presently in harms way fighting for a cause they believe in. Their labor deserves recoginition as well.Support Our Trrops!
How much worse off would we be under the IBEW or another union? We'd likely be better off, and I think it's time to at least consider a change.
Keep an eye out for scab labor. Make the Bell locals do their job! That out of stater is taking YOUR WORK. Stay sharp and let's get more people back to work.
Best of luck to the recent retirees. You've earned the peace and quiet! For those of you approaching two years after layoff YOU HAVE EDUCATION MONEY AVAILABLE. Don't throw $2500 away. Find a course and register TODAY!
Remember to BUY AMERICAN...the job you save might be your own!
RETIRED ON ACTIVE DUTY: A story of the M&M boys
Mike Klein and Morton Bahr. Two guys who often strain their arms patting their own backs for the great job they feel they've done for labor. The M&M boys are the only ones who feel this way. They've done nothing for labor in over 20 years. Morty collects nearly $200,000 annually in pay and benefits while thousands of CWA members have lost their jobs in recent years. Rather than pushing for real reform and ideas that might work, Morty presses flesh with the sellout Democrats, and puts forward the same ideas that have failed organized labor for two decades. This sorry excuse for a man needs to retire with the same pension a rank and file CWA member gets. He negotiated it, let him live on it! His involvement in the ULLICO scandal gives ammunition to opponents of organized labor and destroys any gains that could be made. It's no steps forward, three steps back with this clown.
Now for Mikey Klein. This guy is so out of touch, he actually thinks his membership respects him. He's a laughingstock, and it would be funny if it weren't so sad. His failure to stand up for the laid off members and those facing permanent transfer have erased any good he may have once done. It's local leadership like this that gives organized labor a bad name. As of this writing, 20 Michigan installers are down to mere hours before they have to accept a permanent transfer or lose their jobs. If they decline the transfer, they lose their health benefits right away! Why didn't the union demand that they get the same treatment as a layoff? Why aren't we having work stoppages in protest? What kind of union let's its members be pushed around like this? you know the answer. The Teamsters or UAW wouldn't allow this, but the CWA just rolls over. Many of those facing transfer still are waiting for answers from Local 4090 on contract language. They have yet to receive their copies, so they are at the mercy of union leadership that DOESN'T EVEN RETURN PHONE CALLS. These members deserve better, but there was probably an important meeting in Florida that Klein had to attend. At a resort going for about $200 a night. Ever notice that issues that could be handled via conference call end up being held as formal "meetings" in Las Vegas or Florida. Our Union dues at work. All these meetings, and the best Klein can tell us is "It's not over.....(fill in the blanks with more sellout news)". DO SOMETHING INSTEAD OF TELLING US ITS NOT OVER! DO YOUR JOB! OR RETIRE-WE'LL BE SO MUCH BETTER OFF!
Georgie W. is no friend of labor....the M&M boys make his labor bashing much easier.
Both these guys want the benefits and comforts of full time work without the accountability. The term "Retired on Active Duty" is used in the military to describe someone who collects a paycheck, but does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to earn it. This term is PERFECT for Mikey and Morty!
WESTERN UNION AND LUCENT INSTALLATION: A study of parallels.
Most people know Western Union for one of two things, a money transfer service or telegrams. As late as the 1970s, however, Western Union was a premier communications company with a network of satellites and major government contracts.
Western Union employees were well paid, with good benefits. The hourly workforce was represented by the NTU. Ever heard of them? Didn't think so, but more on that later.
The NTU was in the business of trying to expand by diversifying its membership. This was done while Western Union employees were neglected. Western Union made bad business decisions, and eventually the pension plan was terminated and retiree benefits eliminated. The NTU did nothing. No innovative ideas to get Western Union on track, just saying the same tired rhetoric over and over while doing nothing.
Corporate Western Union died. Thousands of retirees left with minimal PBGC administered pensions and no health benefits. The NTU was decimated and its remanats folded into the CWA.
Lucent Technologies today is a lot like the Western Union of the early 1980s. The end result doesn't have to be the same. Those of us close to retirement have too much to lose. Those of us nowhere near retirement need to build for the future. Morton Bahr and Mike Klein aren't the answer. We must take the reins of our future back and steer to our benefit, not the benefit of the Status Quo.
It's time for Klein to go. It's time for the CWA to reform. Go to the Yahoo search window below and search for the Western Union Retirees Association. See if you want to be in their shoes in a few years. Stay wth CWA and we're all up the creek.
Just some FOOD FOR THOUGHT.......
WHAT THE CWA SHOULD BE DOING:
If this was a union with original ideas it would seek an employee buyout of Lucent Installation while negotiating with Bell companies to force the use of union contractors. If the Bell CWA locals would stand with us, we wouldn't be diminished to 3,000 members, as we are under the current union leadership. While Tyco and Siemens have a ton of work, Lucent Installers receive layoff notices and forced permanent transfers with NO PROTEST by the CWA.
I'm not sure incumbent unions can change. Maybe the rank and file needs to break away and start a new labor movement. We expect management to cut our throats, but does our union need to stab us in the back at the same time?
Check out the links below this section for the truth about how organized labor is giving workers the SHAFT.
The Coalition for Honest Representation fully supports Collective Bargaining and Union Representation. But not in the sellout manner the CWA is providing it.
One thing we can do is to stop paying dues. Even in Michigan, you can call payroll and stop the witholding, saying you'll make payment arrangements. Then notify the Local you're witholding dues for ineffective representation. They can come after you, but it'll be a lot of trouble. Maybe Klein will start doing his job instead.
It's WRONG to work overtime when a surplus exists. It's WRONG for Local 4090 to not represent its' members.
Make 4090 DO THE RIGHT THING!
WORLDCOM, ENRON & LOCAL 4090- WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
Worldcom, Enron and other companies imploded due to fraud, costing thousands of good people their jobs and many their life savings.
IS THE SELL-OUT OF LOCAL 4090 MEMBERS BY MIKE KLEIN ANY DIFFERENT?
In the aftermath of the November 2002 layoff annoucement THREE SHIFTS at Royal Oak were working 20 HOURS OVERTIME PER WEEK!!
After the most recent layoff, SUPERVISORS ASKED FOR OVERTIME THAT WEEKEND!!
Did Local 4090 protest? NO!! Did Local 4090 even make a pretense of telling members to refuse overtime? NO!!
Why? Well, Mike Klein has been bought and paid for! When he was still working, the company allowed him to avoid going to the job by paying him with indirect labor codes. This allowed Klein to get to the Union office whenever he wants, to work as little as he wants, and to have his favoite food-Stroh's-for lunch in great quantities......
The Coalition for Honest Representation theorizes that this comfortable lifestyle was threatened by management who told Klein that they'd end this arrangement if he protested. Hence, the sellout of Local 4090 by its own President!
In a recent union tape, Klein deplored the permanent transfers of SENIOR INSTALLERS....WHAT ABOUT THOSE WITH LESS THAN 30 YEARS??!!!???
They pay dues....They, more often than others participated in protests. And yet, Klein still SOLD THEM OUT!
I urge every thinking member of Local 4090 to resign from the union and become an agency member.
I urge every member who takes a transfer to NOT JOIN THE UNION when you arrive in your new location. These are Right to Work states and YOU WON'T HAVE TO PAY DUES! When they ask why, say you aren't joining until they prove they're going to do their job-unlike Mike Klein and Local 4090.
I urge all those who are being forced to transfer to file a NLRB complaint about the lack of representation by Local 4090. He's being paid to do a job and isn't performing.
Union bylaws, regulations mean nothing to Klein. His head is so swelled he thinks the rules don't apply to him. In last fall's election, Klein flaunted the rules regarding the selection of the election committee. But it doesn't matter, he's Mike Klein, rules don't apply to him.....
Stop Klein from destroying the labor movement. Leave something for the younger generation. You'll only be helping yourself.
TAKE A STAND!!!!! Take a stand! Write to the national CWA or AFL-CIO at the links below and DEMAND that they make Mike Klein start doing his job. The 20 month contract just negotiated will mean nothing without a young workforce to back up future negotiations. Make a stand or all health care benefits will be gone at Lucent. That wll be Klein's legacy.
Disclaimer: This site is the expression of OPINION only and implies no illegal or immoral act by any party. This site serves only as an expression of 1st amendment rights!
While Morton Bahr, Barbara Easterling and CWA District Presidents collect six figure salaries, the CWA members and their families suffer. Union leadership needs to read this picture and remember what a PRIVLEGE AND HONOR it is to represent the men and women of labor. The CWA among other labor unions is un-democratic. If it believed in democracy, the union would allow members to directly elect National officers and District Officers instead of controllng elections at the annual conventions. It's time for labor to take back what is rightfully theirs and say GOODBYE to the Kleins, Rechenbachs, Easterlings and Bahrs FOREVER!
Morty needs to stop the sale of union cards to questionable contractors who give workers no health benefits, per diem or pension. These contractors are then allowed to steal jobs in unionized Central Offices. Even when non-union contractors are present, CWA Locals are so spineless, and the Bell locals so useless, that nothing happens. Morty pats himself on the back for increasing membership, when what he's really doing is selling out the workers who built the union.
Morty, the FICKLE FINGER is awarded to you!
Say a prayer for our troops today...support them as they protect us!
Thank a VET....you can read this page because of their sacrifice.
Kitty Gives Bird to Klein
Even the cat is outraged at the sellout of Local 4090 members by Mike Klein. So instead of eating the bird, kitty has flipped it to Klein. Great Job, Kitty!
POW Links
Use the links below for information on how to support those who went when called, but didn't come home.
GOD BLESS AMERICA
We are blessed to live in a nation where expression isn't a crime. We have those freedoms because of our servicepeople. Remember all those who are serving or the veterans who have served. Take a minute every day to pray for our troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere. Their service is a testament to the greatness of the United States
Stroh's-Breakfast of Sellouts
Klein's favorite food-Stroh's-has a new slogan courtesy of the sellout of Local 4090 members by its' President. Klein has had enough Stroh's at union expense to have this slogan just for him. Drink up Mikey!
Thanks for stopping by!
My gripes with the CWA.
Links
AFGE-A REAL Union
CWA Website
AFL-CIO
CWA Corruption
Adopt a POW
Nikki's POW Site
Labor Activist Rank and File Letter
Big Bold-RSS Digest
Numbers USA: Fight Illegal Immigration
