And it keeps getting worse for the Randy Brown hater club.
Robert Wood, candidate for Recording Secretary with Mike Drummond's slate filed charges with the Local 728 Executive Board against President Randy Brown for the publishing of "Meeting the Challenge: A Report on the State of Your Union". The report by President Randy Brown was published in May by Local 728 to communicate with Local 728 members on the challenges and opportunities facing Local 728 before either candidate had publicly declared temselves as a candidate. Wood aasserted that the publication was improper and constituted campaign material paid for by Local 728. Paying for campaign material with union funds is both illegal and a violation of the International Constitution. Unfortunately for Robert his opinion didn't seem to agree with the facts or established standards of what constitutes campaign material.
Wood's charges were reviewed by the Local 728 Executive Board and were dismissed on the grounds that the charges were improper because they were not filed as a pre election protest as required by the International Constitution. Robert Wood appealed the decision to General President Hoffa, who not only upheld the decision of the Local 728 Executive Board to dismiss the charges, but went further to say:
I have also reviewed the publication in question and have determined that Brother Brown's article does not constitute campaign materials. Thus, even had you alleged a pre-election violation, it would have been denied.
A pre election protest was also filed on the same subject by Mike Drummond, but his protest was dismissed by the Executive board because it was filed untimely (you better learn the IBT Constitution if your going to be President buddy). Alan Lamb's slate has stated on there website that they have filed charges with everyone short of the FBI, but no protest has been filed to date, just a whiney letter to Joint Council 75 President Ken Wood cc'ed to Local 728.
These guys obviously have issues dealing with the reality that a sitting President of a union has a right to communicate with the members.
