Franco for NYCDCC President 2012 - Essay

Monday, November 26, 2012, 5PM-7PM
395 Hudson St, 9th Fl.
New York, NY 10014

Q1) What is your opinion of the performance of the District Council delegate body, Executive Committee and officers since the UBC supervision ended on January 11th, 2012?

A1) The performance of the delegate body, Executive Committee and officers of the council, overall, has been quite troubled. I know this both by documentation and by personal observation. Numerous UBC Constitution, NYCDCC Bylaw, and Roberts Rules of Order violations have occurred during your early everyday lease meeting. There is a minority of delegates that have attempted to address these and other violations during and outside of the meetings but they largely have been ignored. Additionally, a few delegates have been ridiculed and harassed not so much by other delegates but by the former president and the EST themselves.

There have been motions, policies, and contracts that have been put into place that should never have even been entertained. For example: the banning of the Member Gallery motion, which was vetoed by RO Walsh; making motions via email; providing of a contract just the night before voting on it; 20% discount on concrete projects with almost no questioning the necessity; financial background checks on stewards; the three dispatch rule, under which job "shapes" are considered dispatches; the list goes on but the biggest blunder of all was accepting full-mobility.

The administration for council must not continue this way. I competent president would not nearly any of these troubles that now plague our Council to have occurred. The administration of our Council must not merely change, again; it must be corrected.

Q2) Do you feel that you're qualified to serve as District Council President? If so, explain why you believe you are and why members should vote for you instead of any other candidate?

A2) I know that I am the most qualified to serve as the District Council President for the following reasons:
* I am quite familiar with: the 2010 UBC Constitution; the 2011 NYCDCC Bylaws; Robert's Rules of Order, 11th Ed; the 1994 Consent Decree; the 2010 Stipulation and Order appointing the RO; the NYCDCC Personnel Policy, the LMRDA, the NLRA, and many other necessary documents.
* I have successfully run JSA meetings.
* I'm the most independent of the candidates while also the most connected to the rank and file.
* I do not flip-flop on issues. When I know a course of action is proper and benefits the many, particularly while protecting the individual, I will not waiver in the face of a few who may oppose my decision. I am the only candidate that opposes full-mobility; all the other candidates support full-mobility.
* As president I will not just fall-in-line right or wrong. Unity conformity for their own sake ultimately will lead us to failure; collapse. To follow our so-called leaders without question will lead us to ruin. I will support those who are doing right and will oppose those who are not.
* I am not controlled by any political party or politician.
* I am not a Council employee. Nor do I seek to become one.
* I cannot be swayed to do wrong by money or gifts.
* The president is also member of the Executive Committee. As such, I will have the responsibility to draft and recommend to the delegate body: the overall organizing plan; collective bargaining agreements, which includes the allocation of wages and benefits; changes to the Bylaws; and many other powers and responsibilities. A major change to the Bylaws I seek is to give the rank-and-file contract ratification. I also seek to allocate some of our raises to the Welfare Plan to recover some, if not all, the services we recently lost.
* I will always keep in mind how the whole of the membership must benefit, not just a select few. I will always seek to establish and support policies that elevate our standards and to protect and empower the whole of the membership, not just the oligarchs.

With at least the foregoing, I know that I can not only competently perform the duties of the NYCDCC president, I know I can perform better than any of the other candidates.

/s/Daniel J. Franco/s/

Also, see the hand-written original essays of all four candidates:
Dan Franco Essay
Martin Maguire Essay
Stephen McInnis Essay
Jeremy Milin Essay