You've been outed Bernie.
Be prepared to have your soul laid bare by the end of this whole affair.
I wonder if Bernie wrote the Release from his little hideaway in Florida?
Pension Trustees Have Hissy Fit
On the heels of the release of the FSCO's report about the UFCW's troubled pension plan, CCWIPP trustees issued a stinging rebuke to the regulator. So they can't claim they've been misquoted, here's their media release reproduced in full:
Press Statement
May 31, 2005
Canadian Commercial Workers Industry Pension Plan asks for withdrawal of an "incomplete and inaccurate" FSCO report.
The CCWIPP ("CCWIPP") is asking the Ontario Minister of Finance and the Superintendent of Pensions to withdraw an incomplete and factually inaccurate pension examination report on CCWIPP that was recently released by the Financial Services Commission of Ontario (FSCO).
"After more than two years of an examination with which CCWIPP fully cooperated, it is shockingly irresponsible of FSCO to issue a report riddled with regulatory compliance allegations that have been disproved with documentation FSCO admits was provided but that it has yet to review".
A 67-page Draft Report was issued by FSCO on December 23, 2004, nearly two years after the CCWIPP examination began. CCWIPP subsequently assembled and provided to the examiners thousands of pages of documentation responding to every compliance issue.
FSCO itself admits in its most recent report, dated March 2005:
"The Board [of Trustees] has provided additional material to address all of the concerns raised by FSCO in this report. This information is under review by FSCO."
"It is completely unacceptable that a public agency responsible for ensuring pension fund integrity should issues what it admits is an incomplete report - one that could potentially damage CCWIPP's reputation in Canadian and international investment communities, negatively affect CCWIPP's investment partners, such as banks and other pension funds," said Christophe.
"We have asked that this report by withdrawn until there is thorough consideration of all the documentation provided by CCWIPP that answers the compliance concerns raided by FSCO."
Christophe added that CCWIPP will continue to fully cooperate with FSCO for "as long as it takes to go through every issue raised in the report and review all of the documentation we have provided. Should FSCO need even more documentation, we will gladly provide it. All they need to do is ask."
"We continue to stand by the professional integrity of our trustees, employees, advisors and legal counsel and their collective commitment to the interests of our members. Our fund is sound and all our members' earned retirement benefits are secure."
We hope that in some future media release Bernie explains how it is that the pension trustees "cooperated fully" with the FSCO if thousands of pages of documentation were provided to the regulator only after the trustees saw a draft copy of the regulator's report and "even more" is available.
Hercules Christophe is well-known among union reformers for his definition of leadership: "Leadership is taking your members where they don't want to go, and ultimately to be proven right." Maybe he's hoping to be proven right about taking their money where it shouldn't have gone.
quote:
We hope that in some future media release Bernie explains how it is that the pension trustees "cooperated fully" with the FSCO if thousands of pages of documentation were provided to the regulator only after the trustees saw a draft copy of the regulator's report and "even more" is available.
Don't hold your breath - it seems that bernie doesn't really want to 'discuss" it.
"Taking members where they don't want to go" -> are we there yet bernie? 
That's what happens when you shine a light on them - they scatter and hide.
I've always believed that one day their arrogance would be their undoing and I think the day is upon us.
They say so many stupid things when they have to say something it's really hard to keep up.
quote:
Trustee Alain Picard, vice-president of human resources at Metro Richelieu Inc., said no one can expect pension plan trustees to make strong returns on every investment.
"You have some that turn out well and some that don't," he said. "Theoretically, you expect the average will be good. You don't hit 1,000 all the time. Like the major leagues, you hope to hit .350 or something like that."
Luckily I drink my coffee on the cool side... because it was squirting out of my nose when I read this line.
Bloody brilliant statement from the HR guy.
Mr. Picard follows baseball does he? I wonder if he's familiar with:
quote:
In what later became known as the "Black Sox" scandal, several members of the Chicago White Sox allegedly conspired to deliberately lose the 1919 World Series to the Cincinnati Red Stockings. Despite their acquittal, Baseball Commissioner Judge Landis permanently banned all of those players from the game.
Also receiving a lifetime suspension was a man named "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, one of the greatest players of his day. Throughout the World Series, Jackson had a batting average of .375 and played error-free defense. However, he still received the same lifetime banishment from Judge Landis.
The scandal made front-page headlines all over the nation. Fans of the game felt betrayed. And according to legend, an apparently disillusioned young boy walked up to Jackson and said, "Say it ain't so, Joe!"
If you're wondering why your business rep isn't too exorcised about the CCWIPP, it's because he or she probably only uses the CCWIPP as a top up to the other pension plans available to her or him.
For example, 511 reps and officers are covered by the mighty fine "United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Pension Plan for Canadian Employees."
Check you local library for a copy of -- Unholy orders : tragedy at Mount Cashel / Michael Harris (1990 chapter 8).
quote:
Kelly's will to resist was weakening, and he embarked on a rambling description of his life, claiming that he had never had any intention of going to bed and 'doing these things.' He talked of the loneliness and hardship of a priest's life. 'I wouldn't think I did anything to want to hurt them....'
At 7:20 P.M., LeBreton detailed the numerous occasions when Kelly had sexually abused young boys. The handsome priest leaned forward, visibly upset by the policeman's words and then sat back in his chair, coy or resigned, LeBreton had no way of knowing.
'Maybe in my sleep or subconscious,' he theorized a little wildly. 'Even then I can't buy the way it's being put... I have a blind trust with people and put myself in embarrassing situations.'
LeBreton patiently explained how Kelly had turned down available empty beds in order to sleep with ones occupied by young boys when he visited their homes.
'... If I got in bed and did this I wouldn't force them to stay.'
'This is what happened,' LeBreton said, laying down one of the statements.
'What does he mean by advances?' the priest asked.
'Hand on a leg could mean a friendly gesture; but handling the privates. . .' LeBreton didn't finish, and Kelly lit up another cigarette.
'Unless I'm mixed up in my mind, it was someone else. I know the laws, and liquor isn't an excuse.'
Kelly asked for coffee and told the policemen that he sometimes had so much to drink that members of the RCMP had had to escort him home. LeBreton reminded him that there are degrees of indecent assault.
'If you touch a girl's breasts it is an indecent assault.' Kelly puffed on his cigarette and said that several young girls had crushes on him.
'Do you feel you set up a mental block and don't want to believe you're doing it?'
'When you know psychology, the thing you don't do is analyse yourself,' Kelly replied, explaining to LeBreton that he held a degree in the subject.
LeBreton was beginning to wonder if Kelly would ever face the unpleasant facts before him.
'In your time in De Grau, do you remember things that you regretted?'
'I don't believe things went that far, the fondling of hands in shorts. I may have put my arm around them. I can say I know how far to go.'
'Is there things you have done?'
'Talked about alcohol. I spoke about homosexuality.' Father Kelly asked to go to the washroom. When he came back with his escort, Corporal Urquhart, the RCMP officers raised the issue of a nun who was Kelly's girlfriend. The emotional barriers shuddered, then broke, and Kelly began to weep. Urquhart brought him a glass of water and he was allowed a phone call to the convent in De Grau where his girlfriend lived.
At 11:00 P.M. Father Kelly began his statement in his own hand. Twenty minutes later he signed the document in which he admitted to the crimes with which he'd been charged, and, to a degree, tried to rationalize them.
"Regarding the complaints I have heard, I can say in some cases I realize that I have been at fault, however there was no deliberate attempt to hurt any person or to break any laws of church or state. I do not think I forced any person at any time... I have been involved with the people named... . In nearly all cases there was no extreme involv[e]ment. I have worked very hard in Cape St. George during the past 6 years. I guess I was not fully conscious of the fact that I had broken the law. I have no previous involvement with the courts insofar as prosecutions are concerned. I think I was overly emotionally involved with my parishioners and work and this may have led to my becoming too involved with them.
Ronald H. Kelly"
I wonder if other union leaders around the country understand the importance of taking note of what's going on here. If there is a problem with this pension plan it will hurt the entire movement. Just about the only thing unions have left going for them is defined benefit pension plans. If the integrity of these ever come into question, or if another fails entirely union organizers in every union can kiss their collective asses goodbye.
Is their perverted notion of "solidarity" really worth putting the entire movement at risk so a few men and women can abuse their entrusted positions for their own benefit? Is turing a blind eye to theft, election fraud, and various other antics really what it means to be a trade unionist these days? 
Maybe you'd like to pay them a visit at the "UFCW Canada National Defence Fund and sectoral conferences" at the Hilton Metrotown in Burnaby BC. The party starts today.
Oh, what luck, if they stay an extra day, they can all golf at Gib Whitlock's golf tournament on July 13th. Seems like it's pretty top secret. See if you can find any mention of the golf tournament on the UFCW Local 247 web pages.
But wait, they announced it on the mojo radio site:
quote:
UFCW Drive For a Cure Golf Tourney
UFCW Locals 247 & 1518 are holding its' 2nd annual Drive for a Cure Golf Classic on Wednesday, June 13, 2005 at Swan-e-set Bay Resort & Country Club in Pitt Meadows, B.C.
Proceeds from the event support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada. Last year's tournament raised over $20,000. The tournament is opened to anyone. For more information, please contact Anny Kukovica-Goodman at UFCW Local 247, at 604.535.8329 or akgoodman@ufcw247.com.
Hell, no wonder they didn't advertise it to the members. Who the hell could afford to chip and drive at the Swan-e-set Bay Resort & Country Club?
quote:
Is their perverted notion of "solidarity" really worth putting the entire movement at risk so a few men and women can abuse their entrusted positions for their own benefit? Is turing a blind eye to theft, election fraud, and various other antics really what it means to be a trade unionist these days?
No comment.
If it helps I can say that as a ufcw member - every day there's a new threshold for disillusionment.
gawd I should've been a spin doctor - you see the potential? 
I'm currently reading through the screenplay of 'Nixon'... the movie by Oliver Stone. The screenplay is supported by a bunch of essays and actual Watergate transcripts. Full transcripts are available at this website
Here are a couple of interesting snips of a real conversation between Richard Nixon and John Dean on March 21, 1973. They were discussing the cash (blackmail cost) of the Watergate intruders.
quote:
DEAN: Right. Uh, so that's, that's it. That's the, the extent of the knowledge. Now, where, where are the soft spots on this? Well, first of all, there's the, there's the problem of the continued blackmail
PRESIDENT: Right.
DEAN: ...which will not only go on now, it'll go on when these people are in prison, and it will compound the obstruction of justice situation. It'll cost money. It's dangerous. Nobody, nothing--people around here are not pros at this sort of thing. This is the sort of thing Mafia people can do: washing money, getting clean money, and things like that, uh--we're--we just don't know about those (noise) things, because we're-not used to, you know--we are not criminals and not used to dealing in that business. It's, uh, it's, uh--
PRESIDENT: That's right.
DEAN: It's tough thing to know how to do.
PRESIDENT: Maybe we can't even do that.
...
PRESIDENT: How much money do you need?
DEAN: I would say these people are going to cost, uh, a million dollars over the next, uh, - two years. (Pause)
PRESIDENT: We could get that.
DEAN: Uh, huh.
PRESIDENT: You, on the money, if you need the money, I mean, uh' you could get the money. Let's say--
DEAN: Well, I think that we're going--
PRESIDENT: What I mean is, you could, you could get a million dollars. And you could get it in cash. I, I know where it could be gotten.
DEAN: Uh, huh.
PRESIDENT: I mean it's not easy, but it could be done. But, uh, the question is who the hell would handle it?
...
PRESIDENT: Yeah, well, what do you need, then? You need, uh, you don't need a million right away, but you need a million. Is that right?
DEAN: That's right.
PRESIDENT: You need a million in cash, don't you? If you want to put that through, would you put that through, uh--this is thinking out loud here for a moment--would you put that through the Cuban Committee?
DEAN: Umm, no,
PRESIDENT: Or would you just do this through a (unintelligible) that it's going to be, uh, well, it's cash money, and so forth. How, if that ever comes out, are you going to handle it? Is the Cuban Committee an obstruction of justice, if they want to help?
DEAN: Well, they've got a pr-, they've got priests, and they--
PRESIDENT: Would you like to put, I mean, would that, would that give a little bit of a cover, for example?
DEAN: That would give some for the Cubans and possibly Hunt.
PRESIDENT: Yeah.
Damn CCWIPP trustees... SO UNORIGINAL!!!
If anyone can get transcripts of the Monday morning meetings in union and government offices across Canada... let us know. Movie material for sure!
This cracked me up and I'm still laughing. Bernie is quoted. I think he was finally gonna get around to booking the crew for at least one session...
If they actually took this course, a refund would be in order.
quote:
Here's What Past Attendees of the
ATMSŪ Programs Are Saying
'Too bad this course did not exist 20 years ago.'
Bernard Christophe
Chairman
Canadian Commercial Workers
Industry Pension Plan
Winnipeg, Manitoba
quote:
Who Is Eligible To Participate...
... Mastered the basic principles and practices of trusteeship and who wish to advance to the next level
After reading the FSCO report on ccwipp - the shit doesn't read like it used to - can we assume that Mr. Christophe has advanced to the next level?
Well, it looks like the FSCO told the CCWIPP that it ain't goin' to retract nothin' said in the big bad report.
Read about it in today's Toronto Star.
quote:
Ontario's financial regulator says it will not revoke a report that found trustees of a major union pension plan broke numerous provisions of law designed to protect workers.
I think this is where the eyes should be peel'd, despite christophe et al's whining that the report was premature...
Lest we forget - the FSCO's report findings were and are all based on information already available - that there may be yet undisclosed or undiscover'd information can't/won't/doesn't change those findings.
More disclosure of the mess you all made in the ccwipp plan can only add to those findings, not change them - nuh unh Bernie - nice fucking try tho! 
Experiencing some web problems today...
- No access to the CCWIPP website since last night (not sure when it was pulled)
- No agenda released yet for Toronto City Council meetings next Tues, Wed, Thurs (usually done much sooner)
- No online minutes (or mention) of the May 17th and May 31st meeting of the North York Community Council. Council shedules do not show that these meetings ever took place. Only the third line in this document gives it away (the first and second lines are interesting too)... July 5th agenda Those must have been really fun meetings... I'm feeling ripped off.
- You have to go back to a North York meeting of Jan 8th 2005 to find any mention of the famous Keele/Wilson corner (which is weird because the main City council has since). It seems that the CCWIPP boys have a lot of pull at both the FSCO and with 'a few' of our city councillors.
It's like only the Toronto Star wants to tell us what's going on!
They have a lot of pull everywhere. Thank goodness
there are newpapers like the Toronto Star, T.V news like CKCO and websites like MFD. The pick pockets, extortionist, fraudmiesters, down right
con artists, can run but they can't hide, at least not forever.
Hey look. Bernie Christophe's in charge of another financial services outfit Union Savings . Wow, look at all the neat shit you can get from Bernie and his circle of biz unionist cronies: Cell phones, credit cards, legal services. Terrific. If Bernie spent half as much time representing workers as he does trying to get his mitts on their money they might actually have some.
Aren't these guys the biggest bunch of sad sacks you've seen in a while? I've never seen so many booze-noses on one web page - ever. Good thing they're not running a liquor store.
[QUOTE]posted by remote viewer:
[QB]Hey look. Bernie Christophe's in charge of another financial services outfit Union Savings . Wow, look at all the neat shit you can get from Bernie and his circle of biz unionist cronies: Cell phones, credit cards, legal services. Terrific. If Bernie spent half as much time representing workers as he does trying to get his mitts on their money they might actually have some.
Mitts......sticky, sticky, sticky...
Hey Sharleen Stewart is on that page too!
Who would have thought that an SEIU rep and a CCWIPP guy would know each other?
quote:
Hey look. Bernie Christophe's in charge of another financial services outfit Union Savings
hey....they all look like the managemental teams we face when we bargain....another group out to f**k the workers and line their own pockets.....
i know little about this situation but am learning....this all goes deeeper than anything i have ever been permitted to know....so with this new found knowledge...where do i take it...what can we do to prevent somethiing like this again...i am so sick and tired of these "leaders" fending for themselves and throwing us to the wolves....so when i finally collect my 92.00 a month for over 30 years of working, my leaders will be sipping pina coladas in the sun.....my body will be broken...and their bloated frames will show the world their success....which was suppose to be the workers success.... so many issues, too many to tackle, how does one make change....i refuse to throw in the towel yet.
Remove the leaders. That's why the trustees
of CCIWPP have to be removed. They have shown
that they are only interested in using the pension fund for their own personal benefit, not
the members.
What the trustees did with the funds is not investing but gambling. Investing you do your homework before you invest in a company, gambling you don't. Of course the company you
invest in you're taking a gamble that it is going to
do well in the future, but it is a calculated gamble based on research of the company. These guys
didn't do that. They seem to have been indulging
their fantasties of playing big shots using the workers money and hoping they would hit the
jackpot, not for the members but for themselves.
Their behaviour is that of gambling addict. They
just kept pumping money into these businesses
when common sense dictated that they could never
recoup the losses. Instead of cutting their losses
they just kept pouring money into the businesses
and continued to lose more of the workers money
with the stubborn belief they would eventually win.
Well, they lost the members money, (millions) but hey that's the chance one takes when they gamble. Sometimes you win but most times you lose. When you lose someone else has benefitted
from your loss. No different from a casino. You win,
the casino loses. You lose, the casino makes money. CCIWPP is no different.
If the workers want a peace of mind, they must
insist that these gambling addicts be removed their
positions.