A Letter from Kevin Kollmeyer

Recently, CWA Local 6203 received an e-mail from CWA Local 6313 President Kevin Kollmeyer. We are going to post that letter, unedited, so that our members will have context on our forthcoming response. We are willing to post anything written by any member to this website, or assist other locals with setting up their own website should they require assistance.

Here is the letter, as pasted from the local mailbox:

From: Kevin Kollmeyer
Date: Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Subject: Mr.Martin
To: “local@cwa6203.org” <local@cwa6203.org>

Mr. Martin,
I would like to address some of the comments you have posted on your local’s website. First, I take offense to you attacking my bargaining committee, those who are elected to the bargaining committee do this knowing they are going to put their lives on hold to hopefully make a difference for the union members they represent at the table and I have the utmost respect for my friends who decided to serve on it, knowing it was not going to be an easy task at hand. But they took the task on with out hesitation. And I say “THANK YOU” to my Brothers for it. Aside of being on the bargaining committee they are also officers in their respective locals and for you to attack them is wrong, this contract affects them to as well as their members. I am disappointed in President Patton for even letting that get posted on the internet for the whole world see. Shame on you David!!!!!!! They deserve an apology.
You also talk about what our parents and grandparents fought for and where we are now, do you know the difference between now and then? They had the American people standing behind them because they were tired of the rich getting richer and they kept getting poorer, right along with their Congressmen and Senators applying pressure on the company, We don’t have either now, They believe we are the evil greedy union that destroyed Detroit. Not till the American People wake up and decide to take back this nation by electing people, who believe the poor and the middle class is what built this nation. That is when our fight will start. Until then we have a very hard road ahead of us.
So, how do we bargain a better contract if we don’t have the support of the American People and our Legislators? I dare you to walk up to any of the 12.3 million people that are unemployed and ask them; don’t you feel sorry for me? I make 34 dollars and hour and paying 75 dollars a month for health care and in 4 years they are going to pay me 37 dollars an hour and I am going to pay 225 a month for a health care. Matter of fact, ask anyone and see what kind of response you get. I don’t like paying for health care anymore then any other person, but there is not a union contract out there now that union members don’t pay something for health care. Please tell us what we need to do to get a better contract?
Go on strike? Let’s think about this for a minute, with the political and economic climate that we are currently, would it not be the worst mistake we could make right now? The Republicans, from the States all the way to Congress, are already trying to pass right to work bills, paycheck deception bills, and prevailing wage bills, take away collective bargaining rights of our members. So don’t you think if we go on strike, it would be a disaster for us? This, I believe, is what the anti-union activists and special interest groups and Republicans are waiting for us to do, to drive their message home about unions being greedy and destroying America. So how do we fight the good fight?
Now, about Vice-President Cummings protecting the Members relief fund. He is only one man on a board of 21 executive board members that would vote to give President Cohen the authority to set a date. So do you think the executive board is going to vote to strike after 2 other districts have settled? REALLY!
Last but not least, your theory on the ratification vote, After sitting back and looking at the whole 1st ratification vote to the 2nd ratification vote, I could see where there is perception of malice on the districts part, but I truly believe the real problem was the voting irregularities, from a secretary- treasurer walking around with a ballot box taking secrets ballots. To locals not mailing ballots as required by their bylaws, as we have seen in some locals elections where stewards were taking secret ballots from members for them to vote, the DOL stepped in and said rerun the election, so I believe it probably was the smartest way to run the second election through a 3rd party, because if the DOL would got involved we would of opened up a door that we didn’t want to open. That’s why we have election committees in our locals to run these elections.
Now Mr. Martin I have looked through your posts, but I see nothing about your ratification vote on your health care that was mailed out by the international, instead of your local running the ratification vote for it. Or matter of fact, any comments about your very own contract after bargaining. You are not building solidarity within the union by posting your tirades on the internet for the whole world to see by attacking local officers. I believe you need to be educated on some things and hopefully your leadership can help with that. Now, I do believe the Bargaining Committee deserves an apology from you!!!!

John K. Kollmeyer
President
CWA Local 6313

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” -Gandhi