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OFL Power Struggle
August 27, 2010 - 11:34pm
There's been a showdown building at the OFL between recently elected president Sid Ryan and five of the affiliated unions that fund the labour federation and have all cut their dues payments forcing the OFL to layoff several of its staff. It also appears that there's a power struggle between Ryan and his two deputies, Marie Kelly and Terry Downey .
All in all, this amounts to an attempted coup that would either force Ryan to resign or force him to all but resign by becoming President in name only and ceding all operational authority to Secretary-Treasurer Marie Kelly and the unions that are backing her.
A letter detailing the crisis has been making the rounds (click link)
... and the CAW is re-affiliating?? Have they taken sides in this debacle?
On some days, it's positively embarrassing to be part of the trade union movement.
I would imagine that the CAW has been looking at re-affiliating pretty much since Ken Lewenza became President.
That said, given the timing you've got to think that doing it now amounts to taking sides. Even with Ken's different leadership, there's always at least potential bad bood between CAW and Steel... let alone a bunch of others not named or barely referred to in the letter.
If the CAW has taken sides- and I dont realistically see how they could not- then good for them they have not said anything. But that may not last at all.
There are some things in the letter that aren't consistent. Which isnt to say it isnt mostly accurate. They may just be overstatement on details typical of people when they get torqued up.
This is pretty unlikely to end well. I think the best that can be hoped for is end as quickly as possible... that if people look for 'fair', it will just go on. Quick may not be pretty, but better than the alternatives.