Local 328 Shop Talk

First of all, Boston was hot, hot, hot. We arrived on Saturday afternoon after a 5 hr plane ride. Our flight had over 100 AFSCME members. The first day we checked into the hotel getting ready for the activities of the coming week. We stayed at the Omni Parker House, the originators of the Parker House Rolls and Boston Cream Pie.

Sunday several of us went to Lawrenceville the site of the “ Bread and Roses” mill strike resulting in the death of a young woman.

The CN 75 Women’s Committee, again had items for sell. This time it was shorts and sweat pants with the phrase “Negotiate This” across the back-side. We also sold aprons ,the rest of the t-shirts, buttons and cling ons.

This year the focus of the convention was the Secretary-Treasurer election, following the retirement of long time Secretary-Treasurer Bill Lucy after 38 years. It was an ugly election, there was so much politicking, mud slinging and the International President Gerald McEntee showed his natural born a--. There were 2 candidates Danny Donahue and Lee Saunders. McEntee was for Saunders. He was very disrespectful of the members who spoke for Donahue, once even inviting the member to fight it out on the convention floor. I was so embarrassed for the first timers to see such blantant disrespect of our union brothers and sisters.

The rest of the convention was the normal resolutions and amendments.

Boston is full of history and we did a lot of sightseeing. I made the mistake of trying to keep up with Jaimie , yes I should know better by now, but I tried (smile).

All in all it was a wonderful opportunity and I was glad to have gone.

Barbara Carroll