:: rawblogXport ::

:: Tuesday, February 25, 2003 ::

Organize or Die Some say that whatever his motives, McCarron's single-mindedness eventually will backfire by driving members away. They mention what happened last spring in British Columbia, where angry carpenters voted for autonomy from the international group in order to escape McCarron's control. "He takes virtually all the democratic rights away from the members," says Dave Flynn, secretary-treasurer of the British Columbia Provincial Council of Carpenters, which is now negotiating its independence. "We view the union as an organization that's run by the membership. His view is it's run like a business, very top down."

Flynn says that carpenters in British Columbia are free spirits who don't like being told what to do. That was made clear early on, when McCarron came to a meeting hall to explain the structure he planned to impose. Members demanded the right to vote on any changes and to elect their new officers. When McCarron refused, they walked out en masse, turning out the lights and leaving McCarron standing at the podium.

Today he shrugs off the slight, dismissing the British Columbia rebels as misguided and incompetent idealists. "They only have seven to 10% of the market," he says of the locals. "They're about out of business. And there's a high influence of the Communist Party."

posted 8:51 PM :: reference link :: 0 comments ::

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