(Greenwich, CT) – The Connecticut Laborers’ District Council and Laborers’ Local 136 Greenwich announced today that it has initiated discussions with members of the Greenwich Municipal Employees Association (GMEA) to represent the town workers in future labor and contract negotiations with the town.  During the past year, members have voiced their dissatisfaction with the performance of the GMEA and as a result, a municipal labor complaint was filed by a member on Thursday, November 19, 2009 at the offices of the Connecticut Department of Labor’s Board of Labor Relations.

“Representing a group of employees’ means operating with transparency and with open communication.  That currently is not happening with GMEA leadership.  Even before starting our organizing campaign, we were presented with over 120 signed ‘authorization for representation’ cards from GMEA members,” said Charles LeConche, business manager, Connecticut Laborers’ District Council.  “After receiving more signed authorization cards in several weeks, we plan to petition the State Board of Labor Relations to arrange a hearing and election date.”

Dissatisfaction with the overall representation and operations of GMEA started brewing in September 2006 when a GMEA member filed several complaints with the Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations against the Town of Greenwich and GMEA for violating the Municipal Employee Relations Act.  Years later on October 30, 2008, the Connecticut State Board of Labor Relations announced its ruling against GMEA and the Town of Greenwich.  (Further documents and information can be found online at www.CTLPL.com/newscenter/greenwichemployees.html).

Most recently, another GMEA member filed a municipal labor complaint on Thursday, November 19, 2009 which stated, “Greenwich Municipal Employees Association is in violation of Section 7-470b1a of the Connecticut General Statues as the union has interfered with the members rights set forth in Sections 7-468 of the Connecticut General Statues by:  Breaching the union’s duty of representation to its members pursuant to Section d of 7-468 by refusing to provide financial and other information upon request.  Specifically, members of the union have repeatedly requested financial information from officers and members of the executive board including the president of the union and such information has not been provided.  The union is also in violation of Section 7-468a of the Connecticut General Statues because its members are engaged in concerted activity in attempting to obtain information from the union including financial reports.  The union has failed to provide such information to its members.”

Operating as an independent union, GMEA represents over 410 Town of Greenwich administrative and clerical workers and is led by its longtime President Rosalie Mastropaolo, a human resources Greenwich board of education employee.  The current GMEA collective bargaining agreement is due to expire on June 30, 2010.

“The Connecticut Laborers’ have a long and outstanding positive record of representing various employee groups throughout the state.  There are so many advantages ahead if the GMEA members decide to change their representation and become part of the Laborers’ International Union of North America.  From fair, effective and open representation to better health and benefit opportunities, it seems GMEA members are ready for a smart change ahead by joining the Laborers’,” said John Olsen, president, Connecticut AFL-CIO.

“As a member of GMEA for several years now, I have been very disappointed, along with many others, in the role of the GMEA leadership and operations of the organization.  Meetings are only scheduled twice a year and there has been no flow of information about the GMEA budget or operations to its members.  Also, I really believe there are no real benefits in associating with an independent union as GMEA,” explained a current GMEA member.

The Connecticut Laborers’ Local 136 already represents a group of town administration and board of education employees.  Overall, the Connecticut Laborers’ District Council represents approximately 7,500 members employed in the construction industry, public sector and other building and trade fields throughout the state. The Laborers’ International Union, founded in 1903 largely by immigrant workers, includes more than 800,000 members who work in construction and hazardous materials remediation, as well as in healthcare, the U.S. Postal Service and other public service sectors of the economy.  For more information, call 860.296.8697 or visit www.CTLPL.com.

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For more information: Ron Dresner
860.523.7500 ron@dennispr.com