Here is the letter sent out by the president of the Carpenters Union, Doug McCarron. We are also providing a translation of some of the finer points.
McCarron: “Our membership is divided over this election. However, what unites us is stronger than what divides us.”
Translation: “We recognize that many of our members have fallen prey to racism and other forms of bigotry. We, the union leadership, will do nothing to challenge this disease that will rot away the very foundation of worker solidarity.”
McCarron: “Every good UBC member has the desire to be the best, most productive craftsperson in the industry. And by being productive we help ensure that our employers can be successful and bid and win more work.”
Translation: “The union will survive by providing workers who make more profit for the boss than do the non-union workers. That this destroys the very reason for a union, and that this policy has been a total failure, we will ignore.”
McCarron: “We will now work with (Trump) to find common ground such as on infrastructure spending.”
Translation: “We will continue to ignore his playing to bigotry as it doesn’t affect our dues base. We will ignore his war mongering, unless that means increased construction spending, in which case we’ll support it. As for infrastructure spending – oil pipelines, coal storage facilities, methane plants… we will support it 100% (as long as we get some dues money out of it). As for a Wall? Well, let’s discuss that.”
McCarron: “work to achieve our goal of 70% market share.”
Translation: “We are a business just like any other, not a union. And just like any other business, we’re after our share of the market.”
McCarron: “As Senator Ted Kennedy once said, ‘… the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.'”
Translation: “We know we are headed to disastrous failure for the rank and file. So they should console themselves with the hope that sometime in the future they – or maybe their kids, or maybe their grand kids – will do better.”
What’s left unsaid: “Meanwhile, don’t worry about me, I’ve got millions stashed away in stock and real estate investments plus all the right connections in the construction industry. Even if the union went belly up tomorrow, even if the rank and file’s pension plans went broke, I’ll be okay.”
For a more in-depth review of where the union leadership stands right now, see this Labor Day article.