Elected Recording Secretary of Local 713
JOHN REIMANN
Working carpenter, Elected Chair of the 1999 Wildcat Strike
Last year John Casey and Co.., leaders of the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council, took away our right to vote on our contracts. Over 2,000 carpenters joined a wildcat strike. One of the most vocal opponents of the substandard contract and for defending what remains of our union democracy was John Reimann
John was also one of a few officers willing to back the wildcat strike. We won back our right to vote. Now the Casey-McCarron-Double- Pension-Dictators want to send a strong message to intimidate us. Brother Reimann was charged with disobeying the authority of the union (!) and the loaded international Trial Panel voted to expel him.
We got our vote back, are we now going to let them crucify one of ours?
John has 30 years in our union as a die-hard supporter of the rank and file. Local 713 has opposed this witch hunt with many 100 to 1 size votes at meetings. Are we gonna let the contractors decide what goes on in our union? Are we gonna let them lock out our brother?
Our wildcat, like the battle of Seattle against the WTO are warning signs that people are just about fed up and even our union leaders won’t be able to hold back that anger forever. An injury to One is an injury to all. When union principals die, union wages and union conditions go to the grave too.