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CCWIPP Class Action Lawuit Launched

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wm pasz
Post Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 6:17 pm

Joined: 29 Jan 2006
Posts: 1219
Location: Toronto
Members of the Canadian Commercial Workers Industry Pension Plan have launched a class action lawsuit against the pension plan's trustees. Their Statement of Claim, filed in Ontario Superior Court, seeks damages of $1 billion, punitive damages of $5 million as well as the trustees' removal. Further details are in today's Toronto Star.

We'll bring you the full story as the members fight to take back their pension plan.

Get the Statement of Claim

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Time is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor. Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor. You don't need anything else. - Malcolm X

Last edited by wm pasz on Wed Jan 24, 2007 8:42 pm; edited 1 time in total
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weiser
Post Posted: Wed Jan 24, 2007 6:41 pm

Joined: 30 Jan 2006
Posts: 190
Location: Chilliwack
What they thought was the end was only the beginning. Cool

Maybe now the employers who simply gave the fat pigs dough to roll in will sit up and take notice that they had a greater responsibility than to simply keep the machine heads happy--they had a friggin' huge responsibility to their employees.
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SharynS
Post Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 3:17 am

Joined: 28 Jan 2006
Posts: 2883
Location: the 'puter
Quote:
...trustees' removal...
Anyone else thinking Caterpillar's 657E scraper?

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loonietunes
Post Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 7:08 pm

Joined: 30 Mar 2006
Posts: 1210
weiser wrote:


What they thought was the end was only the beginning.



Gawd Dang-

I-missed again Crying or Very sad

I wish I was the supplier of Toilet Paper

for the UFCW International Union office as well as these UFCW Local Union offices.


I would be making a fortune Laughing

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weiser
Post Posted: Thu Jan 25, 2007 8:33 pm

Joined: 30 Jan 2006
Posts: 190
Location: Chilliwack
Don’t fret. Those poop heads have had their noggins so far up their asses for so long that they don’t need toilet paper. The only time they pull their slimy ears out is to take a quick smell of their great leader’s farts. Then they quickly bend and plunge up to their slopped shoulders.

They don’t say that those dudes and dudettes are full of crap for nothin’.

That being said, they are about to get a Caribbean enema by some slick hotel developers.
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loonietunes
Post Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 12:41 am

Joined: 30 Mar 2006
Posts: 1210
weiser wrote:
they are about to get a Caribbean enema by some slick hotel developers.
Is it just me,

but I feel that...THE PERFECT INTERNATIONAL STORM"...is about to hit the entire UFCW square in the old Gazzuuu! Very Happy

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the doc
Post Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:53 pm

Joined: 27 Sep 2006
Posts: 121
Do all out there think that it will really work or
not? They have beat the rap so many times and have
failed to carry the ball. Let's hope this time they
and all that support them pay the price.
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weiser
Post Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 7:45 pm

Joined: 30 Jan 2006
Posts: 190
Location: Chilliwack
It will work 'cause the employers now realize that they could be left swinging with the machine heads. This has huge implications for all union pension plans.

The name of the game is now, "If you hand your employees' cash over to assholes, you had better make sure the assholes work in the best interest of your employees. You're responsibility doesn't end with the dropping of the cash into the care of assholes."

That's a huge shift and the consequences for employers is huge. A billion bucks isn't chump change for even the biggest of employers.

Employers will work with anyone who can keep the noose off their necks. The assholes are now on their own.

The FSCO may now have more to worry about than they thought. As the employers squeal, the FSCO dorks become more vulnerable. It's pretty damned obvious that they lost sight of their mandate. If a pound of butt has to be delivered, their's are sticking out a mile. Depending on how well they now cooperate may very well depend on how much they get shaved from their generously ample asses.
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wm pasz
Post Posted: Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:48 pm

Joined: 29 Jan 2006
Posts: 1219
Location: Toronto
Of course it's going to work. These guys have alway beat the rap because they were in places where they were among friends (like the OLRB and the FSCO). They can't influence the courts by pleading ignorance or claiming they had good intentions That's not a viable defence in a case where they are accused of breaching their fiduciary duty. You're expected to know better and your intentions don't matter worth a shit.

In fact, even pleading insanity wouldn't help them - even though it might not be hard to believe that the whole lot of them were out of their minds.

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Time is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor. Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor. You don't need anything else. - Malcolm X
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weiser
Post Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 8:34 pm

Joined: 30 Jan 2006
Posts: 190
Location: Chilliwack
Now the bastards are getting sued again. Looks like the deal with Case Financial wasn't a deal:
Quote:
CARLSBAD, CA, Mar 02, 2007 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- Case Financial, Inc. (CSEF : case finl inc com

CSEF (Case Financial Inc.) today announced that, on February 23, 2007, it filed suit against the Canadian Commercial Workers Industry Pension Plan ("CCWIP"), South Ocean Development Company Ltd. ("South Ocean"), Allen & Company and certain individuals for fraud arising out of their conduct with respect to prior litigation over agreements to purchase a waterfront hotel property, overlooking a golf course and marina, including a gaming license, located on the island of New Providence, Bahamas.

The suit alleges that the defendants made fraudulent misrepresentations intended to induce Case Financial to rely and act on these misrepresentations and enter into a settlement agreement resolving the prior litigation. The suit also alleges that the defendants knowingly concealed facts that would have had a material impact on the decision to enter into that settlement agreement.

Background:

On or about March 21, 2005, South Ocean and L&M Specialties ("L&M"), an affiliate entity of Case Financial, entered into a Letter of Intent ("LOI") concerning the purchase of real estate and a gaming license attached to that real estate located on the island of New Providence, Bahamas (the "Property"). Pursuant to the LOI, South Ocean was obligated to permit L&M to perform due diligence. After numerous attempts to resolve disputes that had arisen relating to the intended purchase of the Property, Case Financial and L&M filed a complaint against CCWIP, South Ocean, Allen & Company, and related individuals in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida ("Florida Litigation").

Between January and March 2006, the defendants in the Florida Litigation conducted settlement discussions with Case Financial. Prior to signing the settlement agreement, it was represented to Case Financial that no action had been taken regarding the sale of the Property and that Case Financial would have an opportunity to purchase the Property following settlement. Case Financial signed this settlement agreement relying on the representations concerning the disposition and availability of the Property.

The Company has subsequently learned that South Ocean was sold to Roger Stein, an investor, prior to Case Financial signing the settlement agreement at the end of March 2006.

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wm pasz
Post Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 2:47 am

Joined: 29 Jan 2006
Posts: 1219
Location: Toronto
What weiser is talking about is an interesting and still on-going chapter in the CCWIPP fiasco.

Case Financial is (or I should say was) a California-based business that provided money to lawyers to fund lawsuits where their clients didn't have the cash upfront. It was a novel business concept. If the lawyer won the lawsuit, Case would make some money on the venture. If the lawyer lost, the money was down the toilet. (Serious, it wasn't really like a loan, it was more like a gamble.) Their motto was "If you've got the case, we've got the cash".

Case was the latest incarnation in a long line of defunct businesses that were started and abandoned by a crew of UFCW-connected fly-by-nighters. (Earlier versions included a now-defunct internet service provider called Web Galaxy, an online auction site called Acubid and another dot.com bust called Asia Web).

As a business, Case was super high risk but that didn't stop the CCWIPP trustees from pouring a few million into it between 2002-2004. Bernie Christophe was a member of the Case board of directors (and a shareholder in the business) and Cliff Evans became Chairman of the Case board in 2004. In total, the idiots poured about $6 million into Case before the ridiculous venture before the whole thing went belly up in 2005.

Evans and Christophe bailed out in 2005 after news of this stinking waste of union members' pension money turned up on the MFD web site and later in the FSCO's report. But the fun and games were only beginning.

One of the brainwaves behind Case Financial was an American entrepreneur named Michael Schaffer. Schaffer was the Case Chairman for a while (before that honour was bestowed on the Cliffgod and after the Cliffgod ran away).

Early in 2005, with the FSCO breathing down his neck, Evans tried to play both the FSCO and Schaffer for suckers.

According to a lawsuit that Schaffer filed in November 2005, Evans had asked him to cough up a $2.5 million loan that CCWIPP had floated to Case along the way so that the Cliffgod could show the gullible FSCO officials that the CCWIPP trustees were indeed making good progress on recovering the lost millions. In exchange for the money, Schaffer said Evans promised to give Case first dibs on the purchase of the mothballed South Ocean Resort - a piece of CCWIPP investment history. So Schaffer coughed up the $2.5 mill but later found out that the Evans was selling the place to some other dudes.

Schaffer filed his revealing Statement of Claim and the CCWIPP boys rushed in to patch things up. A settlement of the lawsuit was reached on terms that would be hysterically funny if they weren't so pathetic:

Quote:
o The Company and CCWIPP shall form an Operating Committee to oversee the collection of receivables due from advances made through the Company by both parties. This Operating Committee would be given the sole right and power to pursue collection on behalf of and for the benefit of both parties.

o The net proceeds of moneys collected by the Operating Committee or moneys received from the derivative lawsuit filed against former officers and parties, 60% of the net proceeds due to CCWIPP and 40% of the net proceeds due to the Company. Once CCWIPP has recovered $4,000,000, this division would reverse with 60% of the net proceeds due to the Company and 40% of the net proceeds due to CCWIPP.

o The cancellation of $2,500,000 in notes plus all accrued interest owed to CCWIPP by the Company.

o The return of 1,000,000 shares of the Company's common stock to the Company treasury and the cancellation of 3,000,000 warrants to purchase the Company's common stock at an exercise price of $.50
that had been issued to CCWIPP.

o The issuance of new warrants to CCWIPP to purchase up to 1,500,000 shares of the Company's common stock at an exercise price of $.25.
These warrants expire on December 31, 2008.


So basically, the CCWIPP boys and their Case buddies agreed to form a "committee" to look for the lost millions. CCWIPP agreed to forgive the $2.5 million loan and to purchase even more of Case's worthless stock. What a deal!

But now, once again, there's trouble on the CCWIPP Riviera. Case's Schaffer is again suing his old pal Evans and the CCWIPP boys. A media release issued today alleges that part of the earlier settlement involved Case getting dibs on the Bahamas properties but, once again, the CCWIPP boys have promised a partnership to some other guys and once again Michael Schaffer is pissed and is hauling the CCWIPP boys' asses into court.

This is a pretty revealing peek into the intrigue and backstabbing that will cost CCWIPP members even more money (think of how much will need to be spent on legal fees defending his royal lowness and his crew of trained seals). It also highlights how these guys keep the dumbass regulators in the dark and feed them bullshit.

From what I've heard, the FSCO thinks everything is just A-OK in CCWIPP land now - including the bleeding Caribbean properties.

Can't wait to get my hands on a copy of the latest court filings to see what else Bro Schaffer has to say about Bro Cliff.

It's fun when these guys start pissing on each other. Maybe the FSCO won't be able to look away once they start drowning each other.

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Time is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor. Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor. You don't need anything else. - Malcolm X
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unionnow
Post Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 11:57 pm

Joined: 05 Feb 2006
Posts: 658
Location: Gettin the Hell out of retail
Quote:


The Parties
1. Plaintiff L&M Specialties, Inc. ("L&M") is a California corporation having its principal place of business at 7468 Via de Fortuna, Calsbad, Califonlia 92009.


I have got news for you, L&M Specialties, Inc. is not a California corporation or a California LLC.

There are some other L&M LLC's out there. Can I get more info?

Also, who are they?

My guess is it stand for Labor and Management Specialties.

Its sort of a sick joke on their part.

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wm pasz
Post Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 2:18 pm

Joined: 29 Jan 2006
Posts: 1219
Location: Toronto
L&M is not registered in California? Well, that's very interesting. Is there any way that we could get some written confirmation of this? If you've got a corporate search record that shows no such business registered in California, I'd love to get my hands on it. (Feel free to send me a pm on this if you'd rather.)

I gathered that L&M was set up by Schaffer to facilitate his purchase of the South Ocean resort. I assumed that the initials stood for Lawrence and Michael Schaffer (Lawrence is Mike's son and another one of the numerous principals in Case Financial) but it could just as easily stand for Labor & Management (leave it to these guys to come up with this kind of sick joke).

If you aren't up to speed on the ccwipp boys' drama in the Bahamas, check out this confidential report that we got hold of through some contacts in the Bahamas back in 2003 (what a great thing the Internet is!). It tells the whole pathetic story of the ccwipp investment in this and another Bahamas hotel and the sad state of these investments as of 2003. RHK Holdings, which purchased the properties in 1998 with multi-millions in loans from ccwipp, is a company run by Ron Kelly, the pedophile priest who became ccwipp's biggest borrower back in the 1990's. The guy who wrote the report (Warren Adamson) is a Canadian hotel industry operator who, at the time, was the President of PRK Holdings, a company the ccwipp boys established to "restructure" the Bahamas investments after Kelly supposedly went deadbeat on his ccwipp loans.

As you'll see in the report, by 2003 things were so bad at the South Ocean resort that ccwipp funds were being used to fund the day to day operating expenses (including the payroll) of the resort. The place finally closed down in 2004 and has been closed ever since.

Adamson wrote the report to plead with the Bahamas government for various favours, including the granting of a casino licence. I'm sure that he and his ccwipp cronies were horrified to see it posted on the Internet.

It's a complete f'ing mystery why the ccwipp boys ever got involved in these businesses. The South Ocean resort had a history of bankruptcies going back decades (it's apparently in a location where it can't compete with more popular tourist destinations in the Bahamas). The other hotel mentioned in the report (the British Colonial Hotel in Nassau) was, according to reports we've received from sources in the Bahamas, a crumbling old pile of a place. Renovating it didn't make a lot of sense and, as it turned out, cost many more millions than originally anticipated.

Yet, it seemed that by 1998, the ccwipp boys were loaning money to Ron Kelly like there was no tomorrow (this despite the fact that he'd left them holding the bag on various investments in Canada).

Once the FSCO started breathing down their necks, the ccwipp boys have been trying to offload the place or at least, give the impression that they're trying to offload it. But to date they don't seem to have had much luck. Every fews months there's a news release in the Bahamas about some deal of other that's just about done with some wealthy backer but there are always qualifiers like "tentative" or "agreement in principle" or "subject to due diligence".

An article in the The Tribune (a Nassau paper) in November 2006 speaks of a partnership (as opposed to a sale) between the ccwipp boys and Roger Stein (the guy who Schaffer whines about in his most recent lawsuit) to develop some kind of mega casino-condo-hotel-marina project on the site but, as is evident from the article, it ain't a done deal yet. What's also evident is that the ccwipp boys will still be involved in the property if hte project goes ahead. Given the $1 billion price tag cited in the article, I have to wonder how much ccwipp members are going to pay for this seaside paradise.

Anyway, that's a bit more background for you.

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Time is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor. Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor. You don't need anything else. - Malcolm X
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Pearson
Post Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 2:33 pm

Joined: 03 Feb 2006
Posts: 1416
Location: Sun City AZ
This does get very interesting, and it makes all of us involved wonder if there are some old ties that bind the Loveall empire to Cliff Evans and the gang. We've bantered about on this one; was old fat Jack ever in Canada? Are there some ties?

One of the mysteries that has yet to surface was how quickly Mike Frazier disappeared. He was the rising star at the ufcw and for him to just be gone is quite telling.

It wasn't all that long ago Jack's kid Jacques was out trying to sell his internet wares to the rest of the California locals. Between that and his movie making business, one has to at least question when he found time to be labors' savior.

Is there a link? It would be interesting to know. I suspect Doug Dority could fill us in...so what do you say Doug, come on out of your shell and clear this up for us eh?

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wm pasz
Post Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 3:27 pm

Joined: 29 Jan 2006
Posts: 1219
Location: Toronto
Mikey Fraser? Funny you should ask. A well-connected source told me just this week that the weasel has surfaced: As a business agent for Local 175 in Thunder Bay (a small city in northern Ontario - about 16 hours drive from Toronto).

Prior to his appointment to the Local 175 presidency in the mid 1990's, Mikey was stationed in Thunder Bay where he was the regional boss of 175, so it's a bit of a trip back to his roots.

As a business agent in the faraway location, Mikey can keep earning a nice income, work as much or as little as he wants and keep a low profile (well, maybe not so much now that we're on to him).

I believe siggy described this arrangement as the UFCW Idiot Protection Program.

As for the Lovealls' I recall hearing that they were originally from Montreal or that there was some kind of Quebec connection. One of the other contributors recently told me that he was running a local in Detroit before landing in California in the 1980's.

The California connection is another piece of the puzzle. Apart from the Case Financial investment there was at least one other now-defunct ccwipp investment there as well - a business called World Blend Shoes.

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Time is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor. Truth is on the side of the oppressed today, it's against the oppressor. You don't need anything else. - Malcolm X
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