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From the September-October 2005 issue of Union Democracy Review #158
Fifty-two playing cards = fearsome "Local 52"
To appreciate this story, remember that 52 cards make a deck (except for pinochle's 48.) From that obscure fact arises an imaginary Local 52...
A group of members of the International Chemical Workers Union at the Colgate-Palmolive plant in Jeffersonville, IN, writes that, "Unhappy with our Local's officers..., Over the years, we have banded together informally to lobby for reform." They are represented by Local 15C.
To ridicule them, the incumbent officers derisively dismissed them as the "Local 52 members," implying, not too subtly, that they were more interested in playing cards than in unionism. But the reformers were not bothered by this effort to derogate their activities. They defiantly assumed the name bestowed upon them; from then on they called their reform caucus "Local Fifty-Two." They popularized their adopted caucus name on their new website and emblazoned it proudly on their T-shirts.
On September 2 came this threatening letter from Robert W. Lowery, who identifies himself as the assistant General Counsel for the UFCW as well as counsel for the Chemical Workers.
"This letter is written to make you aware that the use of the word Local before a number is an effort to convey to individuals that you, or the "Local", have some bargaining authority."
"This representation is clearly contrary to the National Labor Relations Act, as well as to your obligations under the International Constitution and the Local 15C Bylaws.... Accordingly you are hereby given notice that you should immediately cease and desist from any conduct, activity, promotional effort or representation which could be construed as there being an existing bargaining unit at Colgate other than the...recognized Local of the United Food and Commercial Workers Unions."
Apart from its content, this message is significant for its origin. The Chemical Workers and its Local 15C are affiliates of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. The lawyer-author writes, not as the representative of the local, but as assistant general counsel for the UFCWU. So this message comes from way up high. The UFCWU is part of the Change to Win coalition which stakes a claim as a great reform movement. Obviously, one thing that it does not propose to reform or to change is the prevailing bureaucratic mood that infects wide sections of the labor movement.
In a letter addressed to Larry Gregoire, Chemical Workers international president, who had mailed a similar letter, Ryan Compton replies for the Local Fifty-Two reformers:
His group, he writes,
"has never claimed to be, and has no intention of becoming a 'labor organization' ... i.e. union that might seek to be recognized as a bargaining representative of any employees whether at Colgate-Palmolive, Boeing, GM, Coca Cola or any other workplace... The Local Fifty-Two group does not proclaim to be affiliated with the ICWU, the UCW, IAM, UAW, Teamsters, or any other labor organization...Indeed, on our new website, we make it very clear...that [it] is not an official union website. While you also purport to assure me of my LMRDA rights of free speech, and assembly, the thrust of your letter is a thinly veiled attempt to infringe those rights. Further, the only intimidation that has occurred among members of Local 15C is the not-so-veiled threats communicated by you and Mr. Lowrey...The best course of action would be ...for the leadership of the ICWU to accept the fact that its members are entitled to assemble freely, even in dissident factions, to call themselves whatever they want, and to criticize their officers' stewardship of our Union..."
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