Hand Out the Audit Reports!

Ever since I became a member of the Amalgamated Transit Union in 2018, audit reports have been kept a secret by the union officials. 

It bothered me that every president I have known treats members like criminals regarding knowledge of our dues money.

Local 308 is the members' union. Not the officials' church, secret society or personality cult. 

Sadly, this is the consequences of Business Unionism. No wonder our union is so easily directed by our employer—and the members' will is often disregarded. 

However, it hasn't always been that way. Retired Motorman and ATU member, Brother Irwin Davis shared this history with me on a Facebook post:

Here is the history of audit reports to members at union meetings since I attended my first one in January 1987. Audit report books were always given out to members in attendance, and they were allowed to keep them. 

In 1999, about 2 days after the union meeting the top union officials salaries and how bad 308 was in debt were published in the Sun-Times despite it already being public record. 6 months later when the accountant from the auditing firm was there, Jerry Williams had the reports passed out and requested that they be returned to him. The booklets were all numbered. 

I asked Jerry why we go no longer keep them, he said it union information was published in the Sun-Times. I asked if there was a bylaw that members were no longer allowed to keep it. Jerry answered a bylaw was was not necessary. 

I then put a motion on the floor that members be allowed to keep them. Jerry pounded his gavel. and said the motion was out of order. 

This undemocratic practice was also done under, Ethel Carter, Rick Harris, Robert Kelly, Ken Franklin, Eric Dixon, and now Pennie McCoach.

I think that says it all. 

If I am elected as Local 308 president, I intend on making sure audit reports will belong to the members—exactly as Brother Irwin Davis motioned in the 1990's. They will be able to take it home. They will be able to take it to work. They will be able to share it with other members. 

Yes, it will be conditional as accorded by the Obligation in the ATU Constitution: They cannot share it with non-members. If they are caught doing so, they will be fined according to Section 26(e) the Local 308 bylaws. 

But never will I play boss over the members and promulgate collective punishment because of a few who break the bylaws.