For Whose Benefit?
As you read this, officials of various biz-unions are en route to a luxury resort on the Hawaiian island of Maui. There they will spend 5 days listening to speeches and presentations by corporate executives, money managers, high priced lawyers, neo-con commentators, and benefits industry consultants about...workers benefits. Among those jetting their way to Hawaii will be representatives of the UFCW, the Teamsters and the UA; Refrigeration Workers of Ontario.
While their representatives soak up the sun, members are asking why it is necessary for union officials to travel to exotic resorts, at their expense, to discuss their benefits. Some are asking who is really benefiting from some of these benefit plans.
Among those asking the questions are UA Local Members for Democracy who have a most disturbing story to share.
quote:
"Three of the trustees going to Hawaii are full time paid officials of the union. While they sun their buns there are disabled members who for 20 years have been trying desperately to get the benefits they voted on and paid for."
Read more...
Isn't it amazing the the most expensive of the expensive hotels is sold out for the event? How many union members could afford to stay at the Hyatt if they could afford to go to Hawaii at all? How many of the Machine Heads would stay at the Hyatt if they were paying for their own vacation? How many wives, husbands and special friends are going on "converted" business class airline tickets bought by the Power Source? Check those credit card receipts when the Machine Heads get back. How many of them will charge daily perdiems for days that they get their meals paid for by insurance companies?
Did you know that the IFEB sessions all start with a free breadfast? A banquet during the conference? You bet! I would doubt if the average goon pays 1/4 of what he or she is given to buy meals actually on meals. That's why they have it that they don't have to present receipts.
After reading 'For Whose Benefit?' I am still focused on the members who never got assistance from a plan they contributed to.
I haven't got to the machine dining and dancing in Hawaii on the Power Sources' poverty yet.
Way more than a person can fathom at one time.
#$%^&rd's ... It is truly deplorable! 
It really paints quite a picture doesn't it? Union officials partying it up with biz-guys while their disabled members live in poverty and indignity. They've been able to get away with it because in the past none of this stuff was widely known. Thanks to the internet and the efforts of some determined reformers, that's all going to change now.
Party's over machine heads. Change or get out of the way.
Thanks to the people at UA Local Members for Democracy for sharing their experiences. Welcome to the very exciting world of union reform!
I've heard that trading in expensive airline tickets for cheaper ones and using the difference to buy someone else a ticket is fraud. There have been all sorts of people prosecuted under the criminal code for doing just that.
That got me thinking. Why isn't it an unbearable hardship for the machine heads to fly economy when they are taking their wives and girlfriends on union paid holidays, but they just couldn't bear to fly economy within Canada? Hey, if it's a matter of having someone to hold their shaking little hands, then maybe they should take a member or two on the vacations.
If that's all it takes for an all expense paid holdiay to Hawaii, I'll hold one of the bastards hands. Hold it, I'd have to sleep in the same room, wouldn't I? Yuck! Count me out. Hey, maybe that's why a lot of their wives don't go with them either.
I wonder how benefit plans in the service industry compare with benefits provided to workers in other industries. I'll bet that, overall, they're not as good. Why don't the unions take the money they spend on these useless vacations and invest it in upgrading their benefit plans? Do representatives from other big unions go waste their members' money attending these things? I don't see any reps from the CAW, USWA, CUPE or other large unions on the list of VIP's. I noticed Jay Nair from the Ontario Nurses Association is on the list of speakers but then again he's ex-UFCW.
This Hawaii thing is really, really sick! I've looked at the agenda and it's crap. Our union officials don't really manage our plans. They have administrators and actuaries do the brain work and those are the people who give the advice.
I think the whole thing is nothing more than a fake front for a union paid vacation. I'm a CUPE guy and I think Sid Ryan said once that these stupid get togethers are holidays faked as an educational conference.
And we wonder why no one wants to join unions anymore.
In light of these members not getting the machine promised benefits, one would have to ask who is supporting them.
A government program?
Why would governments sit idly by while a perfectly healthy machine dumps union people into already overloaded social assistance programs? 
quote:
perfectly healthy machine
Needs an oil change.
Welcome to the forum Shocked and Dismayed. I hope your plan on sharing some CUPE stories with us!? 
quote:
Needs an oil change
'More_oily challenged'? .. without a doubt!
quote:
'More_oily challenged'
bwahahahahaha! (it took me a minute... but I got it!)
Yup, that's a keeper, siggy.
Oh isn't it great when you're spending union pension and benefit funds on a holiday? Did you know the funds send your employers too? Did you know that some unions pay for these trips with union dues as well?
Here are the room rates (less the 11.4% in taxes) in U.S. funds for a one-week stay at The Hyatt Maui.
A bunch of union staffers will stay on after the IFEB "learning experience" with their wives, husbands and playmates, but they will check out of the expensive hotels because they will have to pay for the hotel out of their own pockets. They wouldn't be caught in a cheap hotel if the Power Source is paying, but they would never pay full price out of their own pocket. However, the airfare is paid by union members dues and pension and benefit contributions. Will many of these guys get their in-town daily perdeim while they toast on the beach?
Information
ALOHA RATE TERRACE
On The Lowers Floors:1 King Or 2 Double Beds: Located On Low Floors Of Napili/Lahaina Twrs 230.00
USD $1,610.00 ($2,581 Canadian)
ALOHA RATE PARTIAL OCEAN VIEW
In Napili And Lahaina Tower:1kng Or 2 Double Beds Beds Located In Napili And Lahaina Towers 300.00 USD $2,100.00 ($3,366 Can)
SUNSHINE ON SALE GUESTROOM
Various Vw:451 Sq Ft:Lanai:
Robes: 355.00 USD $2,485.00 ($3,983 Can)
SUNSHINE ON SALE PARTIAL OCEAN VIEW
In Napili And Lahaina Tower:1kng Or 2 Double Beds Beds Located In Napili And Lahaina Towers 425.00 USD $2,975.00 ($4,769 Can)
SUNSHINE ON SALE OCEAN VIEW
451 Sq Ft:1 King Or 2 Double Beds:
Located Throughout The Hotel: 500.00
USD $3,500.00 ($5,611 Can)
ROMANCE PKG GUESTROOM
Various Vw:451 Sq Ft:Lanai:
Robes: 509.46 USD $3,566.22 ($5,700 Can)
ROMANCE PKG PARTIAL OCEAN VIEW
In Napili And Lahaina Tower:1kng Or 2 Double Beds Beds Located In Napili And Lahaina Towers 579.46 USD 4056.22 ($6,502 Can)
ROMANCE PKG OCEAN VIEW
451 Sq Ft:1 King Or 2 Double Beds:
Located Throughout The Hotel: 654.46
USD $4,581.22 ($7,344 Can)
SPA PACKAGE GUESTROOM
Various Vw:451 Sq Ft:Lanai:
Robes: 771.93 USD $5,403.51 ($8,662 Can)
SPA PACKAGE PARTIAL OCEAN VIEW
In Napili And Lahaina Tower:1kng Or 2 Double Beds Beds Located In Napili And Lahaina Towers 841.93 USD 5893.51 ($9,447 Can)
SPA PACKAGE OCEAN VIEW
451 Sq Ft:1 King Or 2 Double Beds:
Located Throughout The Hotel: 916.93
USD $6,418.51 ($10,289)
Yes the Westin Maui is nice too, especially if you stay in one of the suites and tell your members it was the Local's "hospitality" suite. Any Machine Head worth his salt must provide a "hospitality" suite for all the other Machine Heads to get free booze and poo poos.
[ 11-11-2001: Message edited by: Richard ]
These guys keep getting these Fabulous Holidays and nobody ever knew until this Web site came on the scene.
I wonder if Lief Hansen is in Hawaii right now? Considering that he's turning his assets over to Gib in a few weeks, you'd think there was no reason for Leif to go on this Hawaiian adventure.
I wonder if Gib now gets Danny Goodman to book all his travel. If so, Gib can say, "Book 'em Danno! Da, da, da, da , da, daaaa -- da, da, da, da, daaaa...."
Do you think Danny and Anny got to go to Hawaii too?
