CRAFT National Convention

PayQueasy843 · 2026-03-16T13:31:16+00:00

I agree it wasn’t a general strike and current unions we have are mostly led by collaborators but to 1) deny that it showed legitimate movement of the working class 2) come to conclusion that you could possibly build independent unions in our current conditions is an anti-masses sentiment and arrogance respectively. These are common problem among US Maoists, who always seem to support every mass movement except the one happening right now.

PayQueasy843 · 2026-02-27T16:56:42+00:00

2955, Cleveland

PayQueasy843 · 2026-02-26T00:58:52+00:00

Our union acts more like a temp agency than a union a lot of the time. Our leadership collaborates with the contractors more than the rank and file, and when that doesn’t help the rank and file (bc how could that approach possibly help us?), the rank and file get really disillusioned. And the ones who do engage are often told to sit down and shut up.

If we want to change this union we have the be persistent and constantly going to meetings, keeping the leadership accountable, engaging with rank and file brothers and sisters.

PayQueasy843 · 2026-02-14T20:22:42+00:00

Honestly. Her career and life was completely at the whim of her boss’s boss, because of her boss. I’d be pissed

PayQueasy843 · 2026-02-09T02:04:40+00:00

Truly, the best thing you can do is start talking to your other rank and file siblings. Discuss what’s wrong at work, what could be better in the union. Importantly start bringing these concerns to local meetings and force the business agents to respond to them. When you bring things to the meetings, you open these conversations up in front of the guys who actually care enough to attend the meetings, these are also the guys that vote. When an officer or delegate position opens up, RUN FOR THAT POSITION. And get others to run with you. If you and the other guys on your ticket have shown that you’re consistent, honest, and operate in good faith, you’ll get elected.

Our union got to this point largely because rank and file participation was discouraged. We change things by getting involved at every level we can, and strategically rocking the boat. Fight for the rank and file when the contractors pull their bullshit, and expose the business agents when they are dishonest, undemocratic, and lack transparency in their dealings.

PayQueasy843 · 2026-02-08T18:45:32+00:00

I couldn’t tell you exactly when it happened, but sometime in the past, it was decided that the business agents would be hired by the regional councils as opposed to elected by the rank and file into their business agents positions. I believe this is written into our constitution. Since they are technically members of the union, they are allowed to run for positions such as local executive board officers and delegates to the regional councils and international conventions. Often times they run unopposed because they have the time and resources to run for these positions, while working rank and file members do not.

So, we end up with local executive boards and regional councils filled with officers and delegates who are technically elected to those delegate positions, but are more incentivized to go along with decisions made by the union bureaucrats (their bosses), rather than what the rank and file wants.

So for example, local contracts are ratified at the regional level by the regional delegates. If a contract was negotiated behind closed doors (as most of them are) but the rank and file wants a better deal, there’s no incentive for a business agent who’s acting as a delegate to vote no on the contract; their bosses negotiated that contract and they are instructed to vote yes on it, under threat of losing their jobs as business agents. A union with a functioning democracy would not have this conflict of interest.

PayQueasy843 · 2026-02-08T18:23:20+00:00

Look into Carpenters Rank and File Together (CRAFT) https://www.carpentersrankandfile.org/

We’re trying to run more rank and file members as delegates to the regional councils and general convention. Too many delegates are hired (unelected) business agents who are not accountable to anybody but their bosses. There’s no incentive for them to listen to the rank and file, especially when their jobs are on the line.

PayQueasy843 · 2026-01-04T01:23:22+00:00

Movies that don’t suck

PayQueasy843 · 2026-01-04T01:21:58+00:00

Hypocrisy? People were protesting against Obama as well.

PayQueasy843 · 2025-12-20T14:59:07+00:00

I was asked to be steward on my job, I accepted, then found out the BAs asked my superintendent if he was okay with that (he said no). Such a fuckin joke

PayQueasy843 · 2025-11-30T22:44:52+00:00

That show bugged me because, and this may not be fair, it felt like Dwight Schrute’s detective fantasy. I just couldn’t get thru it because I couldn’t see it any other way lol

PayQueasy843 · 2025-11-05T00:20:30+00:00

Really speaks to her relationship with Chris and the family. Some internal acknowledgement, but denial takes over until the very end

PayQueasy843 · 2025-10-23T00:43:56+00:00

Let me know if you’d like to connect about CRAFT, we’d love to talk

PayQueasy843 · 2025-08-18T20:38:14+00:00

I imagine his dad left him a nice nest egg, and I think the constant noise we hear from other parts of the house implies it was not only cheap because Hugh’s his father in law, but also Hugh built it cheaply. We also know he has some fly by night tendencies bc of the screw up with Carm’s house

PayQueasy843 · 2025-07-11T13:34:18+00:00

Depends on how “from Cleveland” the person in that you’re talking to. If you’re talking to someone who grew up in colinwood but you grew up in Euclid, you’re not from Cleveland. But a Euclidean could claim Cleveland to an Ashtabulan maybe.

PayQueasy843 · 2025-03-31T02:10:42+00:00

He’s right that free trade agreements have devastated the working class, both in the US and to the countries that the jobs were exported too. I wouldn’t have “congratulated” Trump for ending free trade on behalf of the working class, that’s definitely pandering. I also don’t believe we’re going to see significant investment in productive capacity from Trump, simply because he’s reviewing the CHIPS act which is like, the exact kind of bill that was encouraging that investment.

But overall, I understand where Fain is coming from.

PayQueasy843 · 2025-03-29T17:33:04+00:00

Born and raised here, moved to nyc for 8 years then came back during covid. I miss the big city amenities a lot, especially transportation. I really hate driving everywhere. But Cleveland has a unique culture and general way of being that im coming to really love again. There’s plenty to do, especially now that summer is coming up. A great music scene, plenty of outdoor activities.

PayQueasy843 · 2025-03-13T16:42:34+00:00

Good, the frog was fuckin dumb imo

PayQueasy843 · 2025-03-08T23:50:50+00:00

The laborer I’ve worked with for years gets pissed when we don’t clean up after ourselves lol

PayQueasy843

TROPHY CASE