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Letters to the Editor: Tech Guild's Political Fraud

Letters to the Editor
Tech Guild's Political Fraud

To the Editor:

I would like to bring to your attention the following frauds that were and still are being perpetrated against the Tech Guild members of Local 375 and others.

About a year ago, it was disclosed to the local's executive board by the union's leadership that the Department of Environmental Protection Chapter 8 President, Steve Awad, had been "temporarily" transferred to a unit under DEP Chapter 32's jurisdiction (Local 375 has four sister chapters within DEP representing approximately 1,100 employees); however, being that this transfer was supposed to be "temporary," Mr. Awad continued in his elected office of Chapter 8 president, representing some 500-plus members.

It was also uncovered/exposed during this time-period that Mr. Awad, who as Chapter 8 president had a long-standing practice of not attending Local 375 delegates' meetings or executive board meetings and is on record as only attending about five or six of these meetings over a six-year period (half having been holiday celebrations and one local Judicial Panel hearing) was receiving two "secret" DEP weekly paid-release days which were in addition to the 20 mayoral release days that were allocated to the local via the DC 37 citywide contract!

DDC Chapter 4 and 11 presidents Sheth and Chockalingham and I have been requesting President Claude Fort to negotiate weekly agency release time for us, too, so that we can help our members with their disciplinary actions and grievances. To date, after more than five years of requesting similar treatment to that which Mr. Awad has received, our requests have fallen on deaf ears, being that President Fort has refused all our requests in approaching our respective agencies to grant us seven hours of weekly paid-release time.

Partisan politics? The local's deceitful act of passing off Mr. Awad's transfer as "temporary" went on for a couple of months until the true fact came out that the transfer was actually "permanent!" Upon the verification of this fact and the uncovering of the local leadership's perpetrated fraud, Mr. Awad was forced to give up his Ch. 8 presidency and become a full member of Chapter 32; First Vice President Mike Gimbel, who had been sitting in for Mr. Awad for six years at the various union meetings and who had retired in May 2007, was then anointed Chapter 8 president upon the vacating of the president's position.

This Tech Guild fraud was nipped in the bud before it became a farce because of concerned officials wanting justice for the Chapter 8 members who pushed to expose this deceitful act, but Tech Guild fraud continues still.

At the time Mr. Gimbel "retired" after more than 30 years of service to the city, he held both the Ch. 8 First Vice Presidency position and had just been elected Local 375 Central Labor Council (CLC) Delegate. Under our parent union's constitution and bylaws, AFSCME's policy on retirees is clear. Only retired elected "officers" can continue in their positions through the conclusion of their term if they are members in good standing, meaning, that their dues are paid up to date and continue to be paid throughout their term. "Delegates" are not deemed officers and upon retirement, delegates lose their status.

Both Mr. Gimbel and President Fort are well aware of this, but both have perpetrated the fact that Mr. Gimbel is still a CLC Delegate and President Fort has used this guise to deceitfully grant Mr. Gimbel permission to speak at both Local 375 delegate meetings and executive board meetings, when as a retiree, Mr. Gimbel has no rights within either of the two governing bodies of the local.

Local 375 under its international union's constitution needs to have an election to replace Brother Gimbel as a CLC delegate. It is reprehensible that a local's leadership would knowingly and purposely perpetuate deceitful acts and fraud.

Furthermore, I find it even more appalling that Mr. Gimbel, the union's staunchest socialist and alleged supporter of union democracy would agree to this fraud and deceit. Hypocrisy, Mr. Gimbel? Would you care to explain your fraudulent and deceitful actions?

MITCHELL FEDER

Editor's note: Mr. Feder is president of the Housing Authority chapter of Civil Service Technical Guild Local 375 of District Council 37.