President Pennie Spits On Shop Workers!

For whatever reason, the CTA mismanagement insists on having a System Pick every six months. 

As many know, the CTA mismanagement and Local 308 president, Sister Pennie McCoach are playing around with the idea of violating Article 14.4 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement regarding the Rail Shop Worker Section Pick.

So last week, Pennie asked me to conduct a poll and get the results to her today. 

As of this morning, she rejected it, claiming I used it to "force members to sign up for personal lists." 

I created an online, verifiable poll that is a prototype for handling any kind of vote online. This was a poll that worked perfectly—a prototype for all of Local 308 to follow that will ensure a true democratic voice for each member.

All this effort and votes have gone to waste. She is a tyrant and I did my best to prevent this from happening. So I apologize.

Basically, she doesn't like the results of the vote and is making her own poll—or fake a poll and give the CTA mismanagement what they want.

Now she has appointed unelected persons like the Candyman (real name protected so he won't get written up), to do a whole other Shop Pick poll. By the way, he has been registered—and receiving messages—on my Virtual Union Hall since November 15, 2023. I wonder if he will get written up for two safety violations for doing "union business" while jobbed on to CTA time, like I did?

I recommend that all Shop Workers reject Pennie's hand-picked union reps and their questionable, unverifiable polls. 

Let's examine President Pennie's reasoning. Ask yourself, how in the world am I supposed to conduct a poll without using a list that I have obtained on my own? Did you know I have repeatedly offered my "personal list" to her and the entire Executive Board? But they never have accepted to collaborate with me!

She tells me to set a poll with just a few days notice on April 11th:
She gives me no list, system or guidelines to conduct and verify the poll. So I build on the system—my Virtual Union Hall—so we can be efficient and accountable with absolutely zero help from her. It is 100% verifiable and accurate. I share exactly how I will conduct and verify the poll the same day in our email communication.

Four days later, the poll is closed and I spend the whole morning verifying all votes:

Then I get this email from her. No thank-you. No follow up for additional documentation. Just to have it rejected when she could have made that determination when I first told her exactly how it was going to be done 4 days prior:

I immediately shot off an email complaint to the ATU International President John "The King" Costa:

This is why members want to leave ATU Local 308—and it is obvious I cannot convince them why they should not. Pennie and VP Mark have absolutely no respect for the members of my department and their will to elect a competent and accountable representative. 

They couldn't unelect me. They couldn't lock me up in jail. They couldn't get the CTA mismanagement to fire me. So they block me from serving as Section 15(c) in the bylaws state. They block my poll regarding the Pick. 

ATU Local 308 (and ATU Local 241) is a bona fide company union. The presidents, vice presidents and almost 100% of the other officers are totally compromised and loyal only to CTA mismanagement. The CTA mismanagement is definitely pleased with her latest act of terror on Shop Workers. 

Just the fact that we had a poll to see if we would allow our employer violate the Contract again, shows how loving our union officers are for the needs of CTA mismanagement. See the Contract for yourself. Three System Picks in a row is way out of bounds.

Members need to rise up and take control of ATU Local 308. Pack the membership meetings. Motion and place ATU Constitution Section 22 charges on them for removal. All of them. Opting out of dues will only make Pennie, Mark, Keith stronger. 

I have scheduled an Emergency Shop Worker meeting for Sunday, April 21 at 5pm. If you are registered for the Virtual Union Hall, you will see email updates. If you are not registered, please do so at this link: https://forms.gle/gb7byFjUMYMR3EcS6

As an elected leader in the ATU, this is the only way I can recommend we change our terrible situation without being removed from office for promoting Dual Unionism (ATU Constitution Section 22). As long as I am in office, I will not be advocating for anything else.

Everyone that objects to this infantile, tyrannical, technophobic, anti-democratic act needs to at least tell her what you think. Also let the International ATU President know what you think. I sent my complaint to both of them.

Pennie McCoach, President, Local 308
(708) 426-4874
pmccoach@atu308.org

John Costa, ATU International President
officeofthepresident@atu.org

UPDATE: Pennie's poll ended up with almost identical results: