Members for Democracy Archive

I've got a lot of time and respect for Bill P.

However, Zweig is so blinded by his own self-worth that he can't see what's wrong with what he's doing. Likewise, some of his members can't see what's wrong with the picture.

Maybe it's time for a little self reflection for union members. Here's another story about how some spend so much time carping at outward events that they fail to see similarities in their own back yards:

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From the Santamonica Outlook
THE LOW-DOWN ON THE TOWN
Impudent, uncensored account
By C. Castle

Calling the Kettle Black

The timing seemed uncanny. In less than 48 hours union supporters would hold a press conference to denounce the handful of hotel owners who had pumped an unprecedented $880,000 into the Prop KK campaign.

How could the wealthy hotel owners spend all that money to fight paying their workers a decent wage? the union supporters had been asking. How could they live high off the hog knowing their employees and their families were squeezed into small apartments in seedy parts of Los Angeles and often relying on the government to make ends meet?

So here we were, settling in after a hard day's night when a late, late night broadcast caught our attention. It was a rerun and update of last December's expose of Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees Int'l Union ex-president Edward T. Hanley. As we watched, awestruck, we couldn't help but wonder if any the union supporters preparing self-righteous speeches had ever seen the broadcast or heard of Hanley.

Hanley, Dateline reported, had ripped off union dues for years, using the money to buy $1,000 meals, keep an actor friend on a $25,000 a year retainer, invest in an Irish sports team, purchase a condo he used one week out of the year and buy a Palm Springs home.

When he was finally forced out after a quarter century, Hanley was spared criminal prosecution for wrongdoing due to an immunity deal with the Justice Department. Hanley, who retired last July, continued to live the high life on the backs of 270,000 honest, hardworking dishwashers, busboys, bellhops and maids.

Hanley's contract, approved by his handpicked board of directors, guaranteed the former union boss $310,000 a year for life. When the union boss died in a car crash, a clause in the contract called for his widow to collect most of the $310,000 a year for the rest of her days.

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Mr. Ronald N. Zwieg, President

UFCW Local No. 653
505 North Highway 169
Suite 755
Plymouth MN 55441

BUS: (763) 525-1500
FAX: (763) 525-068

Should we contact him in his crystal palace. The very least we should do is ask him to give some of his gold to BP. I think he deserves it more.

aboutunions

For the sake of effeciency, lets amalgamate 653 into 789. 653 appears to not even to have a web site. 15,000 members and no web site. What up with that. Is this highly paid president afraid of something. Well BP, the fact that you are here with us and not him really does tell me a lot more about you. I think the members of 653 would really be better of with you even though you still pray to a specific union name.

Hey how about you link us to some of your speaches. I just had to break down and take a peak to hear you speak.

aboutunions

Zwieg is making just like a corporate CEO: Justifying his big salary on the basis of the money and turf he controls and the big shots he hangs out with. What any of this has to do with furthering the interests of working people is beyond me. There does not appear to be any compelling evidence that living large, controlling pension funds and hanging with other kahunas has done anything of value for workers.

Zwieg may not earn the multi-millions that his corporate counterparts do, but he has it easier: Unlike the corporate boys, he is accountable to no one and is not measured against any standards of performance (even bad ones). He is not, for instance, expected to make his local successful (by any definition) in order to hang on to his position. He thinks he's just entitled to it. He even defends his entitlement publicly, the shameless louse.

Someone tell me please why a guy like Zwieg needs $275K a year. Why does anyone need that kind of income?

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Zwieg explained that many factors go into setting his pay. These include:

• His length of service with the union.

• The size of the local.

• His role as head of the union's multimillion-dollar pension and health and welfare funds.

• The fact that he's an international vice president with access to UFCW union leaders across the nation.

Even his role as director of the Minneapolis Federal Reserve's Advisory Board plays a role, he said. The board, made up of community leaders, helps plug the Fed into what's happening in the economy. In turn, Zwieg says he gets valuable economic insight that helps him in his job at Local 653.

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I especially like the one where he says he has "access to UFCW union leaders across the nation."

What the hell is that supposed to mean? As if Bill P. and a few hundred other UFCW presidents don't have phones or access to a fax, e-mail or mailbox. Tell me one thing all his access gets him that others don't get.

If he does get more, then the UFCW system stinks. It isn't one of equality, it's one of favoritism.

What's the answer Mr. Zwieg--equality or favoritism?

I was looking too and could not find much. I even tried to find out all the international vice presidents and found nothing? Anyone have a list of all the well paid international vice presidents?

aboutunions

I'm still trying to figure out how two locals from the same machine, across the city from each other can look so different.

BP, do us a favour. Go to your office, right inside the front door somewhere, there should be a desk. (might be a women sitting at it).

There will be papers, a phone and pro'lly lots of other stuff. K ... rifle through some of the papers. You're looking for a piece of paper with your union office letterhead. K..? when you find it look at it, no .. no.. look at it.
Does it say UFCW?

<tclady> You are welcome here like any other union member. It is a union site despite all attempts by the status quo to discredit us. Your imput is greatly appreciated.

aboutunions

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Union members queried by the Pioneer Press weren't aware of Zwieg's salary. But then, few workers anywhere seem to know what their union leaders are paid - or their corporate leaders for that matter.

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It's hard to believe the members are not aware of Zwieg's salary. I can understand them not being aware of their corporate leaders salaries, but 653 is required by U.S. law to make available LM-2s, 3s, and 4s. These documents are available to the public. The LM forms give you information about officers' salaries and expenses, union loans, expenditures and investments. IMHO, all unions should readily supply their members with a copy of these reports rather than force the membership to search for the documents. I like the $50,000 bonus deal. Shouldn't the membership get a bonus for adhering to the contract? It occurs to me that a leader who has the members' best interest at heart may want to donate any bonuses toward a strike fund or something of interest to the members. In my opinion, the fact there is no web presence along with the fact 653 doesn't readily supply the membership with important financial documents, supports the premise that Local 653 is being run with a closed door policy.

As long as union leaders expect monetary rewards ahead of the self satisfaction which comes from helping their fellow workers, the members are going to suffer these forms of injustice! IMHO, it's not what an individual is worth, it's what WE are worth!

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what WE are worth!

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I think a balance is needed in determining what's appropriate compensation for services rendered. I don't get paid for the work I do for my employer as much as I get paid for the time I spend away from the things I'd rather be doing with my time.

Certainly the amount of money I should expect my employer to cough up is relative to the profits they take in from staying in business. It isn't very intelligent on my part to expect an employer to pay more in saleries than the revenue they take in. By the same token the long term health of my employer is just as important to me as it is to my boss. It's not just my meal ticket it's theirs as well and so when the pie is devided up it's in everyones best interest to put a portion of the profits towards the business itself.

When I see a local union President of 15K members taking home 20K plus from the International, 225K a year in salery from the local and 50K in signing bonus's I don't see a man "who's worth every penny" I see a greedy parasite who's sucking the life blood out of the organization and making it weaker in the long run. I see a guy taking his share of the pie and everyone else's as well and justifying it because he has a larger appetite.

At 295K we haven't even touched on his car, pension[s] and expence accounts. In total the cost to the employer [the union membership] could well be in excess of 350K per year. I respect Buzz Hargrove more than any other unionist in the world, he is the National President of a 250K member union and I would strongly oppose Buzz taking home even a fraction of that amount! NOBODY, and I mean NOBODY is ever "worth" that kind of money and this guy should be assamed of himself. His family should be assamed of him and his friends should act like friends and tell him what a shit he is for ripping off so many unsuspecting people.

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Certainly the amount of money I should expect my employer to cough up is relative to the profits they take in from staying in business.

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I wonder what percentage of Local 653's total assets goes toward President Zweig's yearly salary? I would have thought UFCW locals would all have an identical formula to determine official's salaries, although I suppose this keeps each local autonomous and allows them to conduct "business" as they see fit with less intervention by the national body. Is this a correct assumption or am I out in left field without a glove?