From: steve girard scottiedog50@hotmail.com
Date: 8/18/2005 

MY NAME IS STEVEN Girard, former financial secretary at millwright local
548. Local 548 is located in the Minneapolis St Paul area here in Minnesota.
Let me start out by commenting that most members of the United
Brotherhood of Carpenters are dedicated, well trained, hard working men and women.
These members deserve leadership that will handle the day to day operation of
the international brotherhood with an approach that reflects the views of
its  membership. Local 548 voted out nearly all of its incumbent eboard
members  out by a 2 to 1 margin in a June 18, 2003 election. Starting the day
after election on we saw the real Douglas MacCarron union in action. With the
councils EST watching on ,in what seemed to most to be a deliberate
program to destroy the new eboards credibility, circulate rumors and take
control of the day to day running of our local by the millwright field agents at
the  council began soon after the  election. One of council these agents, who
was also district council assistant EST was beat out of the 548 presidency
by  a 2 to 1 margin in the locals June 2003 election. The international was
sent several correspondences on these matters over several months. Their
response was to hold a witch hunt in the form of a committee hearing on several
baseless rumors from the council and a few followers. The committee
hearing really showed the members what a one sided machine MacCarron is running.
The international eventually put Local 548 in trusteeship as the result of
their findings. The council field agents were instrumental in bringing charges
against most of the new eboard members. At an executive committee
hearing with the EST, assistant EST participating, several of the new eboard
members were voted to be put on trial. Even though the EST and assistant EST
were involved in circumstances pertaining to the trial. This would not be
allowed in a true system of justice.  During the trial no credible evidence was
given to support the charges. However, plenty of documented evidence to
support the accused was presented.  Most were found guilty as charged
and  fine thousands of dollars. More MacCarron justice.
When I attended delegate training a year before the fore mentioned events  
General President MacCarron gave a
presentation. During this presentation MacCarron stated he would like to consolidate
all of the locals pension monies into one fund. In my opinion if you have
all monies in one fund and it fails everyone looses. If you have several
different plans and one fails the rest are not destined to fail.
MacCarron's reference to our membership as a product tells us a lot. The brotherhood
is made up of human beings. Human beings with real life problems and real
life needs. These members must have their right to elect their leaders
reinstated. Some of our friends, neighbors, brothers, and sisters are
dying on foreign soils around the world to gaurantee the right to vote. We
should have the right to vote in home land that they come from. General
President MacCarron talks about the good old boys system. I feel the total control
he has gained is nothing but a dictatorship that is sure to devastate the union
construction industry as a whole unless he is made to answer to the
membership as well as labor for his actions. It is my firm belief that
General President McCarron and his privileged few must be stopped if the
International Brotherhood of Carpenters is not to become another casualty
of big business ran by CEO MacCarron. Urge your delegates to VOTE MAC OUT

in solidarity brother steven girard