uncharted.ca

"The problem is that no other trustee, employer or union, is willing to engage or make this a priority".

Date: Friday, November 26, 2010, 11:29 AM


Hello Ron ----- Thank You for your e-mail response dated Monday, November 22, 2010. As you are fully aware of and based on the length of time, I no longer have any patience as it pertains to this subject.

"The problem is that no other trustee, employer or union, is willing to engage or make this a priority".

Ron, I must tell you that your comment is very disturbing to me. The mere fact that any issue pertaining to UFCW Retirees isn't a "priority" for other Union Trustee's is unconscionable. Quite frankly it pisses me off!

Please provide me with the name of each UFCW Union / Employer Trustee who does not want to make this a priority. I will be more than happy to inform our UFCW Retiree's throughout Northern California to that fact!


With respect to the "Union Trustee's", with Local 5 now touting itself as the third largest UFCW Union within our UFCW International Union, clearly Local 5 should have the "power" / "juice" to force the Trust Fund / Trustee's to provide our UFCW Retiree's with a current and updated H&W SPD!

If Local 5 doesn't have the "power" and or the "juice" to accomplish something has simple has providing our Retiree's with their H&W SPD, then Local 5 might as well "bend over and kiss their ass good bye"! Local 5 will have become ineffective and useless!

Additionally, with only three (3) UFCW Local Unions left in Northern California since the recent merger of UFCW Local 101 into Local 5, just how much control does Local 5 need to get things accomplished on the Union Trustees side of the table @ the Trust Fund Office?

Once again, as the third largest UFCW Local Union within our UFCW I.U., clearly Local 5 should be able to "dictate policy" as it pertains to the Union Trustee's.

By way of another example, you and I both know that "if" Local 8 / Loveall wanted something specific and or accomplished from within the Trust Fund / Trustee's, the rest of the Union Trustee's had better get on board or else!

I've been there & experienced that!

With respect to the Employer Trustee's, over the years I've come to expect that the Employer Trustee's do not give a "shit" about UFCW Retiree's! It will not be acceptable for Union Trustee's to think that they can F-OVER UFCW Retiree's without being held accountable!

"I would be happy to hear suggestions from you as to what else I, as an individual trustee can do other than raising the issue at every meeting".

As the President @ UFCW Local 5, the third largest UFCW Local Union within our UFCW I.U., how about some good old fashion handbilling and picketing @ the Trust Fund Office in Walnut Creek, informing our members and the community how are UFCW Retiree's are getting screwed by the various Union & Employer Trustee's with regards to this subject matter!

Additionally, for those Trustee's (Union & Employer) who do not want to make this a priority, then how about we handbill / picket their respective workplace(s) and inform our members and the community concerning their callous disregard towards our UFCW Retiree's.

"If you think it would be helpful for me to talk with the DOL agent that you have worked with, send me the contact information".

Over the years I've worked with two (2) DOL agents. Their names and phone numbers are as follows.

1. James Pullen (East Coast) - 1.757.289.2625

2. Allison Campos (West Coast / S.F.) - 1.415.625.2444

Looking forward to Local 5 starting to act like and demonstrating their strength as the third largest UFCW Local Union within our UFCW I.U.

If you should have any questions or require any additional information please feel free to contact me @ anytime.

Thank You for your time.

John Briley

Hello Ron ---- Thank You for your most recent e-mail response to me dated Wednesday, December 1, 2010 wherein you write:

Complete Text:
"You missed a nice event. We have a trust fund meeting next week. I will follow up on the spd."

Ron, I am confused! Why would you waste your time and energy by following up with the SPD @ the next Trust Fund Meeting with your fellow Union & Employer Trustee's? Obviously you have forgotten what you wrote to me in a portion of your e-mail dated Monday, November 22, 2010, specifically, "The problem is that no other trustee, employer or union, is willing to engage or make this a priority".

Complete Text:
"I am not trying to play games with you. I am trying my best to push this thing just as I promised and want to get it resolved. The problem is that no other trustee, employer or union, is willing to engage or make this a priority.

I would be happy to hear suggestions from you as to what else I, as an individual trustee can do other than raising the issue at every meeting. If you think it would be helpful for me to talk with the DOL agent that you have worked with, send me the contact information. I will call Lorrie tomorrow for another update".

By the way Ron, you had asked me for some suggestions in your 11/22/10 e-mail to me. As you are very much aware of I sent you suggestions in my e-mail response to you dated Friday, November 26, 2010 (see attached e-mail dated 11/26/10).

As of today's date I have yet to receive a response from you as to the suggestions / comments I listed in the attached e-mail. Additionally, I am curious, did you even attempt to call the two (2) DOL agents ?

I didn't think so!!!!!!

Seriously Ron, I am tired of your "Bull Shit" excuses! All I have heard is the "blame game' from you over the past couple of years. You blame it on the consultants not finalizing the SPD! Or you blame your fellow Trustee's for not finalizing the SPD! If I recall, I think at one time you even blamed our Trust Fund Administrator!

The bottom line is that the Retiree's still do not have their H&W SPD!!!

You tell me that you are committed to the Retiree's, however as the UFCW Local 5's President and in charge of the third largest Local Union within our UFCW I.U., you continue to demonstrate your inability to finalize the most "simplistic of tasks", i.e., by providing the Retiree's with their SPD!!!!!!

Ron in closing, I would like to suggest to you that as our President @ UFCW Local 5 that your "Pacifist" approach to your "problem solving" isn't working!

As I have said before, if Local 5 doesn't have the "power" and or the "juice" to accomplish something has simple has providing our Retiree's with their H&W SPD, then Local 5 might as well "bend over and kiss our ass good bye"!

Local 5 will have become ineffective and useless!

Thank You for your time.

Happy Holidays

John Briley

Looks like IL is everywhere?

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/12/08/18666042.php

You tell me that you are committed to the Retiree's, however as the UFCW Local 5's President and in charge of the third largest Local Union within our UFCW I.U., you continue to demonstrate your inability to finalize the most "simplistic of tasks", i.e., by providing the Retiree's with their SPD!!!!!!

http://ufcw5.org/

Ron Lind Returns From
International Union Conference
In Nagasaki Japan
Local 5 President Ron Lind recently returned as a UFCW international union delegate to a UNI conference in Nagasaki Japan. UNI is a global organization for unions in the food and hospitality and several other unions. UNI represents over 20 million workers worldwide.

The UFCW president Joe Hansen selected a handful of international vice presidents to represent the union in Japan. President Lind reports that the primary purpose of the meeting was to forge a global alliance to confront employers like Wal Mart and Tesco. "By joining with our sisters and brothers from other countries who have contracts with some of America's largest non-union operators we hope to put pressure on them to do the right thing here."

Ron don't you think you should take care of your own back yard first before you go poking around someone elses?

President Lind reports that the primary purpose of the meeting was to forge a global alliance to confront employers like Wal Mart and Tesco

Friday, December 17, 2010 10:35 AM

Hello Ron ---- Thank You for your most recent e-mail response to me dated, Thursday, December 9, 2010.

Complete Text of Ron Lind's e-mail dated Thursday, December 9, 2010.

"I was informed today by the co-consultants that the retiree spd will be in Jody's hands for printing by no later than January 16. I have asked Jody to provide me with a copy when he receives it and I will forward it to you".

Ron, forgive me for not "shouting for joy" over this most recent revelation, unfortunately, I've been "lured" there before by you guys!

Mr. Osterweil, the Board of Trustees and the Plan Professionals, continue
to demonstrate their inability to tell the truth, especially when it pertains to the Retiree SPD!

In celebration of another anniversary and to illustrate my point, I thought that it would be appropriate to reflect back to December 17, 2009, where in a portion of his letter, Mr. Jody Ostwerweil, our Trust Fund Administrator, stated the following to me:

"As I believe you are also aware, the Plan professionals (along with the staff of the Trust Fund Office) have been working on a new Retiree SPD. We have exchanged several iterations of the booklet, and I believe that we will be able to produce the final version within a matter of a few weeks, given the effect of the Holiday season on staff availability".

For your information and review here is a link to review the entire text of our Trust Fund Administrator, Jody Osterweil's letter to me dated December 17, 2009.
http://www.uncharted.ca/images/users/ssigurdur/20091217_osterweil_letter.jpg

Ron, here it is Friday, December 17, 2010, one (1) year after Mr. Osterweil's promise to me that I could expect the final version of the Retiree SPD within a "few weeks" as he outlined in his December 17, 2009 letter!

As of today's date we still do not have the Retiree SPD. Now we are being told that the Retiree SPD will be in our Trust Fund Administrator's hands for printing by no later than January 16, 2011!

Simply unbelievable!

As I have stated before, pathetic representation from our Trust Fund Administrator and our Board of Trustees! Each and everyone of you have failed miserably at fulfilling your fiduciary responsibility as it pertains to providing the Retirees with our current SPD!

Mr. Osterweil, the Board of Trustees and the Plan Professionals, blatant disregard towards the Retirees is absolutely shameful!

Ron, to the extent that you and or anyone else cares, the ongoing arrogant and obstinate behavior demonstrated by Mr. Osterweil, the Board of Trustees and the Plan Professionals, is destroying what little trust and or confidence that is remaining between the Plan Participants and the respective hierarchy at our Trust Fund Office in Walnut Creek!

Happy Holidays

John Briley

What were you Ron, or your staff doing about your already organized DeLano’s IGA Market workers in your 'new jurisdiction' that just lost their jobs due to the fact that DeLano’s filed for bankruptcy protection? I did hear some 200 UFCW members will be affected by these store closers! Merry fucking Christmas for those already organized members, hey Ron?

Both the Delano's IGA market at 27th and Geary in the Richmond, and the Delano's on 18th Street in the Castro are closing in a matter of weeks, according to two neighborhood blogs. Staffs at both stores were given the news just before Thanksgiving, with a vague closing window of one to two weeks, and the Richmond SF blog suggests bankruptcy may be to blame.

Date: Wednesday, January 19, 2011, 8:13 PM

Hi John

Attached please find final versions of the Bay and Valley Retiree SPD's. Thank you for your persistence in this matter.

Ron

Thursday, January 20, 2011 3:12 PM

Hello Ron - I am in receipt of your e-mail dated Wednesday, January 19, 2011, (attached) wherein you provide me with the Final / Final Versions of the Bay and (former) Valley Retirees H&W SPD's. Thank You

Additionally, as I wrote to you in my e-mail dated Friday, January 14, 2011, one of my questions has been answered as to the Trust Fund providing two (2) versions of the Retiree SPD. One (1) for the Bay Retirees and one (1) for the (former) Valley Retirees.

As you are aware of, I also asked you in a portion of that e-mail the following:

If my recollection is correct, you indicated to me in our past discussions that there are "some differences" that currently exist between the Retiree H&W Plan Benefits for the Valley and Bay Retirees. Is that still the case?

If so, I would like to request a detailed side by side comparison outlining the specific differences that "may" currently exist between the Retiree Health Plan Benefits for the Valley and Bay Area Retirees. Again, assuming that there "may" be "some differences" that "may" currently exist between the Retiree Health Plans, those differences,"if" they should exist, as we both know, Joe & Fred from the Segal Company would already have that information readily available.

Ron, I continue to request that side by side comparison as stated above.

With our upcoming Food Negotiations this year, I would like to strongly suggest that as our President @ UFCW Local 5, we must pursue / achieve one (1) level of benefits for each and every Retiree. Assuming of course, that "some differences" may currently exist between the Bay and (former) Valley Retiree Health Plans.

Under the assumption that the Bay Retiree's may have a benefit(s) better than the (former) Valley Retiree's and or assuming that the (former) Valley Retiree's may have a benefit(s) better than the Bay Retiree's, it is imperative that we take the "better benefits" from both Plans and incorporate those improvements into our Retiree Health Plan, so as to acheive the same level of benefits for each and every Retiree. It makes no sense for not having one (1) level of benefits for each and every UFCW Retiree.

What is your position regarding this issue Ron?

Ron, with respect to your comment about my persistence in this matter.

I have always prided myself in finishing any project that I start. In this case, with respect to the entire SPD issue and beginning with my first e-mail I sent to our Trust Fund Administrator Jody Osterweil, back on Friday, August 24, 2007, I have always been committed to making sure that the entire SPD issue would be resolved to my satisfaction, no matter how long it took!

Moving forward, I can only hope that our Trust Fund Aministrator, including our Board of Trustees (Union & Employer) on each of our various Trust Funds, will always be committed to providing each and every Plan Participant on said Funds, copies of their current and updated SPD's in a more timely manner.

In closing, Ron, would you be so kind and have our Trust Fund Administrator, Jody Osterweil mail me hard copies of the Bay & Valley Retiree SPD's.

Ron, by the way, you didn't mention it in your e-mail to me, what is the timeline for the Trust Fund distributing the applicable Retiree SPD to the current Retiree Participants?

If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact me at anytime.

Thank You

John Briley

Ron, I continue to request that side by side comparison as stated above.