INSTANCES AT THE LABORER'S INTERNATIONAL UNION OF NORTH AMERICA CONVENTION , SEPTEMBER 14 - 18, 1981
AND COMPLAINT ARISING FROM SUCH INSTANCES
Monday, SEPT. 14, Opening session - Fred Noon and
Dennis Ryan, official delegates, were not provided chairs in the Iowa delegation and were
required to sit with Texas delegation, immediately behind Iowa delegation. President
Angelo Fosco, in his usual halting, mispronounced and virtually illiterate manner says in
keynote speech "This union will never belong to outsiders, radicals, or professionals
or politcians."
Sec.-Treas. Arthur Coia attacks
"outsiders" in a denouncing tone of voice, He likewise seems to
mispronounce and misuse words, It is noted that the Chicago and New York delegations are
located right up front before the speakers podium and are obviously orchestrated to cheer
and applaud at certain times,
It is also noted that a sergeant at arms stands right behind Ryan
and Noon during the sessions. No other sgts. at arms are simularly situated. I could see
only Three microphones for the whole convention.
One (#5?) was directly in front of the Chicago
delegations.
Two others were placed close together near the Iowa delegation but
virtually totally inaccessible to most of the other delegates .
At close of session, delegate John F. Ryan (Jack) of Local 43,
Cedar Rapids,Iowa, poked me in the chest and said "You little fucking worm, You don't
attack this organization by going to the press." I asked if he wished to discuss
certain issues and he said "I don't wan't to talk about it" and
he walked away.
The rest of the Iowa delegation, including my
business agent, (and others I have known for years ) William Gerhard, ignore us, don't
talk to us and try to stay away from us.
Meanwhile six or seven U.S. Labor Party crazies are distributing
literature saying Laborers dissidents are "a Wall Street Front" "led by
Socialists", The after noon session was cancelled
SECOND DAY - Sept 15
Noon and Ryan get seats in the Iowa Delegation,
It is noted that the summary ""Daily Proceedings" is filled with
inaccuracies and misrepresentations _representations and omissions, most notably the
attacks on dissidents.
Coia mumbles something about "outsiders" seeking to get
bonds cancelled for the International and District Councils and all the locals (and isn't
that despicable tone voice ). "The "outsiders" are dropping nickels and
dimes in the fund" (or phone) - whatever that means - It was all
quite unintelligible, Afterncon session is cancelled.
Sgts at arms (Sgts at arms - John Abbot from
Oregon and tall bearded guy) begin to follow Chris White, Dick Knoll, Bill Knight and
others and hassle them, trying to punch their genitals and pick fights.
U.S. . Labor Party cooks all have guest badges, Our own members
can't get them. Bill knight gets one from VP Powell but it is taken away by Peter Fosco
and a Sgt at arms, Afternoon session is cancelled.
Third Day - Sept. 16
Hollywood Police deny us right to distribute literature in
convention hotel lobby, As Fred Noon and Dennis Ryan enter convention hall a Sgt at arms
from Indiana (bald and middle aged) rips Fred's Carrying case from his hands and throws it
to the floor where it is surrounded by other Sgts at arms. As he attempts to retrieve it
seven or eight Sgts at arms push him back twice, all but knocking him to
the floor,
Ryan asks the bald one what the trouble is and he says nothing but
stares a hate stare. Ryan asks again and the bald one then says we are not allowed into
the convention. I protest that we are fully accredited delegates. The bald one
says we must clear it with either our regional manager ((Who is that?) or our
International Representative. Both are already inside the convention..
So we go to the police and report Fred's carrying case being
stolen. police say they can''t do much but will "investigate".
They later report to us that the case is "lost".
Police say the Sgts at arms were "just playing" as if to
be apologetic for a theft. .We then ask police if they will escort me and Fred down the
hall, They are extremely hesitant and make up excuses. We say either
escort us down hall or we are handing out leaflets,
They escort us down hall, stopping frequently to try to turn back
but we coax them on. Head Sgt at arms, upon our request, orders other
sgts at arms to let us in to convention. We have to push our way past them as they try to
trip us and block our way.
We get to the Iowa delegation and there are no seats. New
delegates that I have never seen before are sitting at the Texas delegation so we sit
across the small isle with other Texas delegates but we are told we have to move by other
Texas delegates.
While looking around for seats, a sgt.at arms tells us we must be
seated or get off the floor.
We go to the back where we sit with Alabama. One member of the
Alabama delegation "adopts" us with Alabama lapel stickers.
Then a Sgt at arms says we must sit with our own delegation. We
say there are no seats there and he says we ill have to leave then because it is not his
fault if "the delegation runs you out."
Our International representative Warren Miller,
comes by and we tell him there are no chairs in the Iowa delegation. He says "Wait
here". Meanwhile a sat at arms comes by to tell us we can't block the isle, and we
must move .
We spot some chairs in the Wisconsin delegation so we grab them
and move them to the Iowa delegation. Three sgts at arms check our delegate badges and
then leave us alone. Jack Ryan comes over and tells me that I should remove my hat while
the convention is in session. Hundreds of delegates have their hats on that they have just
received.
When the session is adjourned, several of us
dissidents are followed out of the hotel by the two "follower" sgts at arms. (
One was John Abbot from Oregon).
THIRD DAY- WEDNESDAY - SEPT. 16
AFTERNOON SESSION
Pushing our way past unfriendly sgts at arms, we got to the Iowa
delegation where all the seats on the outside of the isle are already
taken. We sit halfway up in the Iowa delegation, behind the table, making it difficult to
get to a microphone,
"Hi, worm ", Jack Ryan says to me. Roy Snyder, my former
business manager from #177 in Des Moines, asks me if I am going to run for any office. I
say I am thinking of running for a VP position. He says "You aren't going to run for
GP are you?" I say I am thinking about it.
"You don't have much time to decide, you know. "
(Elections are going to occur this session). I say "In that case, I am"
Roy says "You're rot going to put all these guys through a
roll call, are you?" I explain that we have asked for and were denied a secret ballot
in our resolutions.
Jack says "You fucking idiots, If you want to change this
union why don't you do it from the inside"??
We have asked the head Sgt at arms if we may hand out our campaign
literature in the convention hall. He said he would
check with the "Chair". He returns now and says the chair said we should have
mailed it. That we can't hand it out.
Clyde Kingery, of #177, says "You don't have any support, If
Iowa caucused right now you will see you don't have any support. Angelo may not be able to
read to well, but he's got some awful smart people around him. I could kick the shit cut
of you right now for running. (Makes threatening jesture) You're going to make the entire
Iowa delegation look like a bunch of fools."
A short fat guy, also from Iowa, comes over and starts yelling at me and Fred that we should be working from the inside
?? I point out that it is hard to be more inside than being a delegate to the convention.
Fat guy says he would like to kick the shit out of us for running, that we will make the
Iowa delegation look bad . A sgt at arms comes over and tells us to knock off the yelling.
Jack Ryan begins a hate stare session at me.
Coia calls the session to order and states that VP Robert Powell will not preside because he wishes to nominate Fosco..
Coia says he will run the election.( I suspect this may have
occurred because of us - Coia seemed much more ruthless at the podium).
Fosco is nominated with long speeches and a big circus
demonstration with big Fosco signs on sticks, confetti, and freon horns, passed out by
Warren Miller. Jack takes two freon cannisters and empties them in my face and throws
confetti at me and Fred.
Bill Gerhard, my business agent,parades around with a Fosco sign.
Apparently if you steal enough money you become very popular with convention delegates.
Before all this. when Coia announced that we
would proceed with the election, he stated, in the most literate way I ever heard him talk
"We must protect this labor organization from its enemies from without and from
within." (Direct quote from U.S. Labor Party nut cult).
As things settled down, Coia began calling "Are there any
other nominations? Are there any other nominations?" A sgt at arms had positioned
himself between me and Fred and the podium, blocking the view.
We began yelling " Mr.Chairman,
Mr.Chairman" and trying to squeeze out of behind the table to get to a microphone.
(See convention rules re getting recognized).
When we got to the nearest microphone, it was not there (removed
by a sgt at arms?)
Connerton is arguing with Coia, who says nominations are closed.
Delegates are calling for nominations to close.
Coia says "Will the delegate get to a
microphone?" What a first class bastard this guy must be.
There is another microphone up the isle so I head for that one, My
way s blocked by sgts at arms and delegates. One of the sgts at arms stands on my foot and
says "You little motherfucker, why don't you get the fuck out of here," He
shoves me back and starts a kicking, punching, shoving and tearing melee with about 20
guys doing the punching, etc. and me trying to get out of it.
Fred is watching and so is the Iowa delegation.
Other sgts at arms break this up (at Connerton's order?) and I get back to other mic which
has re-appeared (at Connerton's order?).
Me and Fred are now surrounded with sgts at arms and about fifty
delegate milling around. Coia says "Will the delegate get to the microphone? What
does the delegate wish to speak on?" "I wish to make a nomination for
President" , I say "Nominations are closed. You're out of order" Coia says,
There is more discussion with Connerton. Coia
says "I have been informed the nominations are still open. State your
nomination."
Much loud booing and catcalls,
A sgt at arms brings me my glasses (knocked off during melee).
"For general president of this great Union I wish to nominate
Chris White of Local 942 in Fairbanks, Alaska. He has been an active and
loyal member for ten years and in the spirit of Congressman Clay's speech of yesterday I
think its time we returned to the traditions this labor movement was founded on and to do
that we need new blood. As congressman Clay pointed out "Its not the man, its the
plan and its not the rap , its the map".
Coia says "Those last remarks are out of order. Is there a
second?" Fred Seconds. A sgt at arms asks for and writes down
our names. Coia - "Are there any other nominations?" Fred nominates me and I
second. We are escorted back to our seats amid a loud chorus of boos and epithats. I realize I have shit my pants.
I am taken by John Abbot to the front to have my credentials
checked.Other sgts at arms go also. I am pushed and cussed at repeatedly
We parade back and forth in front of the podium
three times. (Purpose?)
It is then decided to have our credentials checked in a room
outside the hall so I am escorted there amid more boos and cussing and
shoving.There I see Angelo Fosco and he cannot look me in the face.
While we are waiting to have our credentials checked, Steve Piper
of #353 in Des Moines, comes by and warns me that I should be very careful that night
because some people are trying to get us. The sgts at arms at this point are trying to be
friendly.
Connerton comes by and tells them to protect us and tries to
console me saying everything is just fine and democracy is really working.(??)
I tell the credentials committee that it is absurd to say or imply
that I am anti -Union as the U.S, Labor Party nut fascists claim and apparently many
delegates believe.
I cite my long record of service to the labor movement. There are
no comments. We proceed back into the hall, amid pushing, various
threats, name calling and cussing,
The roll call proceeds with Chris being disqualified
for not being a delegate. Head sgt at arms comes by and repeats five times to the
delegates around me and Fred "Don't hit'em". Just previous to this the Iowa
Delegation walks out , not wishing to be associated with us,apparently. There are now five
sgts at arms guarding us and we have all the seats we need.
Abbot says we should leave town for our own good, "Go drink
some cold beers,". Many people, including Fred try to talk me into conceding but we
have to establish how foolish a roll call is especially if all the offices were contested.
We proved that it would take a minimum of 50
hours to run an election with a roll call. Connerton and Bernstein come by the table and I
tell them how messed up the administration has the union,
They try to claim everything is fine and that I am proving that
democracy works in the Laborers Union.(??) Fred leaves to go get our stuff out of the
hotel and check out because we don't feel it is safe to stay at the Diplomat anymore,
Connerton says he cannot help it if some
delegates don't like us, Fred gets our belongings with some sgts at arms and calls me out
of the hall. The ma+erials I leave behind are eventually stolen , I get escorted out of
the hall with eight sgts at arms and two police. We go to the Hotel security office where
I talk to Fred who is scared.
Fred wants to leave town immediatly if not sooner. Connerton and
Bernstein show up and begin a long attempt to get us to stay at the convention. They offer
24 hr protection, use of their car, sleeping in their hotel room, dinner out on the town,
and a flight to Solidarity Day. (That is correct, an airplane flight to Solidarity Day)
"And anything else we want," - repeatedly. I get the
impression these guys have no idea what solidarity means,
Two Hollywood police officer talk to us and say they themselves
are very frightened and they could not protect us if they had the entire 50 person police
force on hand and what did we do to get these people so angry at us? "They each want
a piece of you guys." "Leave town for our and your own good' before a riot
breaks out and we can't control it."
"All the delegates have been drinking you know while the vote
is going on," The police leave and Connerton and
Bernstein return and again try to convince us to not be afraid. "We will see you are
protected."
Fred and I remain unconvinced since the protection offered is the
same folks who attacked us. I tell Connerton I will call him later with our decision. (We
later decide it is to risky to return even though we want to argue in favor of our
resolutions.)
During this conversation, the head of hotel security, Chris, and
Dick keep saying we should leave the hotel. Every time they knock on the door, Connerton
and Bernstein try harder to get us to remain under their protection. They repeatedly ask us to not go to the press or TV and to not make an
issue out of what has happened,
"Everything will be fine. You have proved that democracy is
working"(??) We are escorted out a back door, down the freight elevator and out the
basement door, into our cars, and escorted to the street. We spent the next two days
writing our notes up and talking to the Labor Dept. We know we will be back someday.
no agenda handed out - impossible to find out where committee-
meeting and when
Fosco's keynote speech recommends "that you call home to see
that your local is represented at Solidarity Day." Besides the impossible logistics
of this on such a short notice, how would the money be authorized if the reps were in
Florida and there was no meeting for the membership?
Fosco also says "a handful people are
trying to destroy my life" (??)
The sgts at arms all acted with discipline, from physically
attacking us to protecting us - indicating that they .also had orders to hassle and attack
us.
The press was excluded until the fourth day. (after the election)
Labor Dept. has much of this information and testimony of other
dissidents who were at the convention