Public Relations.
Your Executive Board may have paid for a crap-ass website like Local 1000a's. 
http://www.ufcw4maplegrove.com/
Reno and his "Associates" 
own the domain.
Keeps your eyes peeled for a new website. If there is one, and if it looks anything at all like ufcw4maplegrove site, file a grievence. There's no way that POS is worth anything near 4000 bones!
Reno Associates Inc.
What is the deal on this outfit? 
I found out today that our Provincial Executive Board has paid Reno Associates Inc. $4132.42 for Professional Services. 
Does anyone know what kinds of Professional Services this company provides? 
Should I be worried? 
Thanks in advance. 
Bill Reno is a old UFCW dude who took on Cliff Evans during a UFCW Local 175 election. He lost, but was redeemed somehow.
quote:
Union hires media consultant to back six-figure salaries
Brian Caldwell
RECORD STAFF
September 21, 2000
Leaders of Local 1977 of the United Food and Commercial Workers have hired a former union executive to defend their huge raises and retirement gifts.
Rank-and-file members, most of them workers at 46 Zehrs Markets stores in central and southern Ontario, were outraged to learn bosses at the Cambridge-based union received 65 per cent raises and are in line for six-figure retirement gifts.
But in an interview yesterday, media consultant Bill Reno said it's the union leaders themselves who feel "attacked and betrayed" since details of their whopping salaries and benefits were made public.
"They're not quite used to this," he said. "It sort of came out of the blue."
Brian Williamson, longtime president of the 7,500-member union local, had his annual salary boosted earlier this year to $118,300 from $72,000. Scott Penner, secretary-treasurer of the local, got a similar raise to $109,200 from $66,000.
In addition, elected members of the executive board created a new executive vice-president position that pays $101,400. It was filled by Al Mclean, a former union representative who earned $55,000 to $60,000.
As part of a package approved at a low-key meeting, the board also made changes that will allow the three senior executives to get 150 per cent of their annual pay as severance if they retire with 20 years of service.
Williamson and Penner have steadfastly declined to comment on their pay hikes since they were publicized this week.
Instead, they have hired Reno, a former president of the Ontario council of the United Food and Commercial Workers, to serve as their "media relations adviser."
Reno confirmed the amounts of the raises and retirement benefits, but said there should be no controversy because they were all approved above-board.
"I don't see what was really done wrong here,'' he said. "It was an open and democratic process by an elected executive board."
Reno said he runs a Toronto consulting company and hasn't done any work for the United Food and Commercial Workers for years.
But he acknowledged he held staff posts with the union and ran unsuccessfully for the presidency of Local 175 during a bitter campaign in 1988.
Reno ran at the time as a reform candidate out to shake up a union structure that concentrated power in a few hands at the top and kept members from having a meaningful say.
One of his chief targets was Cliff Evans, then the union's national director. Evans has since retired, but was hired by Local 1977 earlier this year to write a report that recommended the huge pay hikes for its top officials.
"We have a medieval king in the form of Cliff Evans and a bunch of little fiefdoms underneath him," Reno said during his election campaign in 1988. "His knights are the paid business representatives pillaging the countryside. It's all done on the backs of the serfs, the workers."
Reno declined to say how much he is now being paid by Local 1977 to defend the raises its executives were granted on the recommendation of Evans.
"As consultants go, I ain't that expensive," he said.
Reno questioned the credibility of Johnny Roberts, a former board member who criticized the pay hikes, but said the amounts he made public were accurate.
"Even though the numbers are true, the issue is why this is news," he said.
Reno is the guy who, back in the 80's went public with accusations of vote-fixing against the UFCW. There's an article floating around about this - he makes no bones about it. I think he even calls them corrupt or something along those lines.
‰
Bill Reno keeps popping up in the strangest of places. He was once billed as President of Global Energy Vision Inc. He was "teamed up" with the UFCW Pension fund to do environmental renovations.
How come all these guys have connections to doing deals with UFCW pension money?
Here he is again. I wonder who Marion Fraser is related to?
quote:
PowerSource, a Toronto-based consulting firm specializing in the energy service and utilities sectors, has appointed Bill Reno as Director, Power Marketing Communications, Marion Fraser as Director, Energy Services and Bunli Yang as Director, Government and Regulatory Relations.
He's also listed on the Power Marketing Association's web site as:
quote:
William R. Reno
President
Reno Associates, Inc.
North York, ON
Canada
Voice: 416-223-7366
Fax: 416-223-5330
e-mail:bill@reno-associates.com
Hey, Power Source is our word for working people. We oughta sue those guys for using it without our consent.
Thanks for all the info.
I found this in Google Groups, I wonder if the job is still open :
quote:
From: reno@ultratech.net (B&D Reno)
Subject: Marketing and communications
Date: 1996/02/19
Message-ID: <4g8mlf$m93@newspeak.ultratech.net>#1/1
to: All
summary: Ful-time job for experienced marketing/communications person
organization: Reno Associates Inc.
keywords: Marketing, communications, schools, energy
newsgroups: tor.jobs
Here's what we need: a basically work at home self-starter who is good on the
phone and good on the computer, especially Microsoft Office applications. Need
a car for occasional project management duties.
Must be able to compose good business correspondence and manage lots of paper
and detail. We are a very small business, so we can only pay salary, not
benefits, but there are opportunities for bonuses as well. The closer you are
to the Yonge-Finch area, the better, because that's where we are, but this is
not an essential requirement.
What is essential:
1. Excellent communication skills, written and oral
2. Willingness to work hard, crazy hours and often tight deadlines.
3. Computer skills, as noted. Don't apply if you don't know your way around MS
Office applications.
4. Totally self-disciplined. You will not be "managed". You'll be largely on
your own and judged soley on results.
5. Ambitious but patient. We have a good thing going here which will grow with
the right person, who will benefit from that growth.
If you don't have the confidence that you can meet these needs, please don't
bother to apply. We need someone who is confident in their abilities in these
areas.
We know there are a lot of good people out there. Make yourselves known. ASAP.
Reno Associates
C'mon, that's a joke--right? ![[look up]](graemlins/lookup.gif)
quote:
We have a good thing going here....
No doubt he does.
Did I read that right, the UFCW supports a company and use's it often when that company won't pay benefits? no overtime? that's not very union like is it? Perhaps a firm that pays benefits would be a better place to spend our members money.
Yeh, I'm sure Reno has no benefits either.
That has to be about the dumbest job ad I've ever seen. This guy is a PR-guy? Oh wait. He's a PR-guy-energy-industry-guy. Even better. I guess that's the beauty of having access to the piles of pension fund money: you can live out whatever fantasy you want.
More dumb ads found in the newsgroups:
quote:
From: renobill@inforamp.net
Subject: WANTED: Student Internet Researcher on Energy Efficiency
Date: 1995/04/16
Message-ID: <3mrd2d$t2i@inforamp.net>#1/1
organization: InfoRamp, Toronto Ont. (416) 363-9100
reply-to: renobill@inforamp.net
newsgroups: sci.environment
I am looking for a part-time researcher, preferably an engineering student, who is familiar with the Internet and will search for information on energy efficiency technologies and related subjects.
If interested, email me.
Bill Reno
Toronto, Ontario
This is 6 years old but disturbingly topical:
quote:
From: reno@ultratech.net (B&D Reno)
Subject: Ontario Hydro Privatization
Date: 1996/01/04
Message-ID: <4chnqo$2a4@newspeak.ultratech.net>#1/1
to: All
summary: Big debate over privatization of Ontario hydro begins
organization: Reno Associates Inc.
keywords: electric, utility, privatization, Ontario Hydro
newsgroups: misc.industry.utilities.electric
I am looking for people in the U.S. and U.K. who are knowledgable about privatization in electric utilities, along with the associated topics of wholesale and retail wheeling, open access, etc. There is a very large debate just starting in Ontario over these issues and it promises to be intense and acrimonious. Ontario Hydro is North America's largest utility and its direction will significantly influence the rest of the continent.
If you are knowledgable in these areas and want to engage in information exchange, please reply, either in this newsgroup or by direct email
reno@ultratech.net.
Thanks
Bill Reno
Well with William's big court win, I'd say Mike Freeman had better call in Bill Reno to help with the Media Release. I know that the UFCW likes to put out a media release every time it goes to court.
I wonder if Reno is involved in the lobby effort for energy privatization? From that newsgroup post it almost seems like he is or was. That would be quite disturbing.
quote:
wonder if Reno is involved in the lobby effort for the energy privatization? From that newsgroup post it almost seems like he is or was. That would be quite disturbing.
Why? Is it not kosher for someone to have their fingers in the labour and corporate pie at the same time?
quote:
It was a robust exchange of ideas and knowledge as UFCW Canada communications professionals got together in Montréal on March 13-14, for the second annual Communicators Forum.
The two-day session was led by Bill Reno, a communications consultant and former staff member of UFCW Canada, with workshop sessions on subjects including Effective Communications during Organizing Drives and Collective Bargaining, and Lobbying and Effective Public Campaigns.
"We have a medieval king in the form of Cliff Evans and a bunch of little fiefdoms underneath him," Reno said during his election campaign in 1988. "His knights are the paid business representatives pillaging the countryside. It's all done on the backs of the serfs, the workers." - Bill Reno, quoted in the Toronto Star, 1988
Now that's some good communicatin' Bill. Tell us more about that story!
I wonder how it is with all these great communications experts floating around that the UFCW still has no bulletin boards on any of its web sites so that members can communicate freely with their union and among themselves.
Local 1518 seemed to have a bulletin board at one time. I found a bit of it here . Wonder why they took it down? Could it be because members were saying things like this?
quote:
Local 1518 seemed to have a bulletin board at one time.
I wonder why the link to this one has been removed.
quote:
Subject: Does anybody have tha facts?
Date: Monday, October 14, 1996 at 15:22:38 (PDT)
Company / Union: UFCW 1518
City, Province: Penticton, B.C.
Homepage URL:
E-Mail Address:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I am getting really discouraged with the rumors and hard feelings of both some of our members as well as our SOF/OWT employers. Lets face it, we all are in a very violent economical change, where competitive businesses cut each others throats for the extra buck. But when companies like OWT/SOF are making great profits, I would think that they would share the wealth as well as increase their market share. Local 777 is a huge threat to our employer, but I have not yet seen a document or budget to show a serious loss. I have heard rumors, but thats all Ive heard. If the employer is really worried, we should be more informed of what is going on by company newsletters instead of word of mouth. Also, I think it was a really poor move to introduce this 777 problem just before our contract expired this summer. If it was a really big problem, why did we not hear of it earlier? What did we get instead? A last minute ditch effort to inform us by video that cost $10 each * how many thousand? Pattison, if your out there, you need to find a new neg. team. Lets get with it, lets hear facts.
Gerry Larocque
Hah!
Oh the irony!
quote:
Name: Mike Lueddeke
Subject: Constitution
Date: Monday, November 18, 1996 at 13:32:02 (PST)
Company / Union:
City, Province: Thunder Bay, Ontario
Homepage URL:
E-Mail Address: ekeddeul@baynet.net
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm doing an project for my 2nd year Human Resource Class on
the UFCW and I am interested in the constitution. Does anyone
know where I could find it on the net?
quote:
Does anyone know where I could find it on the net?
Maybe William should field that one. Better late than never eh?