Has TDU become a "You Pick"?

[Graveyard]

As consumers in the US, we generally have two choices, cost more-less work- store bought or cost less-more work-“You Pick.” Looks like today’s TDU chose the “You Pick” path shifting the work to its readers.

TDU states the LM-2 reports “…are available online to any member who wants to learn about the finances of their local.” And then provides “How to Find an LM-2”

I remember when TDU pulled no punches reporting the IBT’s and Local Officer's lavishing salaries and expenses under total compensation.

Now TDU wants its readers to do the work by finding and comparing TDU’s listed items;

• officers' and employees' salaries
• income and expenses
• the membership count as of December 2024
• what law firms or other vendors and consultants your union is using
• the date of your next election
• and more

TDU reports, “General President Sean O'Brien was paid $258,983” instead of reporting his Total Compensation of $431,031 just like TDU did for years before SOB. Looks like Berlin Rosen PR spin-machine has competition!

Thanks T-unionlink for doing the work!

[WTF891]

Fifty years of fighting the good fight only to roll over for Sean O'Brien and a small amount of coin. Sad, they stand for what?

[AlJackson1962!]

WTF891: I hear you. But Ken Paff has a history of turning his back on TDU core beliefs dating back to the mid-90's (or much earlier - but I'll rely on my personal and first hand experience with Paff telling Local 504 "What do you want TDU to do about it?" when we were to be forcibly merged into Local 25 in 1995.). His sidekick David Levine is a bird of the same feather.
But now they've been taken in and given a seat at the table by O'Brien, so I guess that's what they were looking for. They do not stand for union democracy; ,they just talk about it.
TDU used to talk about Frank Fitzsimmons and Jackie Presser fearing the Teamsters rank and file. Now TDU fears the rank and file, including barring Teamster rank and file members from TDU events.

We know that, if Hoffa, Jr. was engaging in the same behavior as Sean O'Brien, TDU would be reporting this. But Paff and Levine are (as they will tell you) now part of The Coalition, and they will not honestly or in any manner, report on the failings of Coalition "leaders". The same was true of Paff when Ron Carey was GP, but Carey, unlke O'Brien, was not an opportunistic, self-serving, sellout. Carey was not perfect, he and his GEB made some decisions I believe were undemocratic, but nothing remotely on par with O'Brien.

Where are the TDU Steering Committee members today? They all were nominated and elected to keep TDU on the path towards building rank and file power and fighting corruption and bad representation in our Union. Is John Palmer the only GEB member not afraid to stand up to O'Brien? Looks that way; if not, where are they?

[Thisischange?]

Well stated and 100% factual AIJackson1962!

[UPS909Strong]

TDU's time is over. Time for another movement

[WTF891]

TDU's time is over. Time for another movement

Correct it's no longer a movement. They consider themselves an off shoot of the education department. No more assistance to reformers running for office, no more exposing the IBT's lies and misdeeds, just a phony storefront collecting cash and putting on webinars. Truly sad.

[Bob Randall]

I don't know that I agree with TDU being "a phony storefront". Admittedly, I have been separated by a few years. However, it has appeared to me that TDU, by choice, is not doing much to bill itself as a reform movement any longer. If true, I can't agree with the "phony" statement. Though, I do believe that the organization is doing valuable work by teaching members to organize around issues from the bottom up. Much more so than I've known the IBT Education Department to consistently do. Now, that said, I am very disappointed that there is no longer a watchdog organization performing the necessary functions that TDU had performed. With mob corruption being dead and gone within our union and a certain level of functioning democracy...the organization may feel as if it can better serve the membership in its current capacity. I just don't necessarily agree. If I could put the creation of total transparency on my own scale against all other functions that TDU currently performs...transparency would lay that side of the scale flat down. However, that's my own personal feeling. I've been around long enough to have seen the cancer that does spread without checks and balances. O'Brien is a cancer. I'm guessing that many, if not most, of the TDU rank and file membership is not hardly aware of our past and how necessary an effective watchdog is within a labor union. I still have a level of respect for TDU for what it has done over the years as well as for what it is doing currently. Yet, I personally feel that if you choose to sleep with the devil you shouldn't cry if you get butt fucked eventually.

[NYNick]

It is strange that they have taken to attacking John Palmer for exposing a questionable hiring ( and firing) incident at the IBT. The many many things they have chosen not to mention since Oz took office pale in comparison.