The following is a closing statement from former Independent Investigator Walter Mack to, then incoming, Independent Investigator William Callahan back in October of 2005. The closing statement was the conclusion of an extensive report regarding Stewards. Sadly while much has changed and heads have rollled, the lack of support for Stewards has not. We urge you to seriously consider the below statement, as well as, the article above as you prepare to face "The Panel".
(Walter Mack: Former Independent Investigator & Current Chairman of the Trial Committee)
"It should be an embarrassment to the District Council that it takes an outsider such as myself to point out basic realities of how the OWL functions.
Based on testimony and on information funneled to me informally, I believe that business agents also require education about the importance of supporting shop stewards who report contractor abuse. I believe that many shop stewards currently believe that it is fruitless to attempt to stand up to an abusive contractor because they will not have business agent support. Shop stewards must know that they do not stand alone. And they should not be able to give lack of support as justification for failure to report wrongdoing on a job site. There should be zero tolerance for such failures and serious sanctions should be imposed in situations where a shop steward does not report wrongdoing to his Local Union and/or the District Council. But business agent support and protection is a predicate for holding shop stewards to this standard" (Walter Mack).
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