President Little's address

President Little's address
at the 8th Quadrennial Convention
concerning the dues increase

Delegates, Brothers and Sisters … on Monday (August 23) you sent the strongest message possible to the BLE by re-electing Byron and myself -- and electing Paul Thompson -- all of us by landslide numbers.

Now, I ask you to complete that message by voting for the dues increase so we can beat the BLE on the Union Pacific and every other railroad in North America. And so we can continue our organizing efforts in the bus industry and also the airline industry.

Most of you know me well enough that I would not ask for a dues increase unless we absolutely needed it to complete that job.

Well we need it, and let me tell you why.

Our Union is strong and financially stable, and I intend to keep it that way.

We can continue just exactly the way we are going, and at the next convention we will go in the hole again. We have not had a raise in the convention fund since 1969 that I know of.

We could continue our education and training as we are doing today at the region meetings, no problem. But if we are going to expand our education and training and take it out to the members in the field, on the local levels, we need that additional $1.00 for education and training. That $1.00 will be returned back to the members in the education-and-training programs that we intend to get into.

If we don't want to organize and if we don't want to continue to take the BLE on, we don't need the additional $3.00. Vote it down if that is where you want to go.

But to make sure that our funds are not depleted during the fight to the finish -- and let me tell you this is going to be a fight to the finish with the BLE -- we do not want to see our funds depleted in that fight.

We need to build up the funds so that after the representation election on the Union Pacific we can go on to the other carriers around the country, and other organizing efforts that we've got started.
The BLE has about $12 million today, and their worst fear is that we will raise money at this convention to beat them. Let me tell you what, I think their worst fears should be realized.
Ask Bill Clinton, Al Gore and George W. Bush how loudly money speaks when you're talking about political elections. I can assure you that by voting for this dues increase the BLE will hear how loudly the UTU's money talks.

There is one more important thing that you need to know.

Don't just think that we will be fighting the BLE in this representation election. We will probably be fighting the railroads, which will see this as an opportunity to get rid of both the UTU and BLE. They could spend millions on anti-union campaigns to make sure that the union members don't vote and have union representation.

We need to get 50 percent of the vote - plus one -- in every representation election on every carrier or there will be no union. That is the law of the National Mediation Board.

This dues increase is about one thing. It is about protecting your job! It's about protecting your family, your craft, and your job! They (the BLE) give it away!

I urge you to stand up for your job, your family, your craft, and your union.

I ask all of you to give us the ammunition that we need to complete the job with the BLE.

I've heard a lot of political rhetoric out in the halls, that, well, just as soon as he gets the $5, and we get out of this convention, he is going to raise it another $2 also.

I make the commitment to you today: We come to you upfront, we're not coming to the backdoor.

We get the $5 dues increase and there is absolutely no need to come back for an additional $2 dollars during the term from this convention to the next convention. And I make the firm commitment to you that we will not do that.

That's my stance on the dues increase, Brothers and Sisters.

Now, somebody said in the caucuses, "Well, Charlie, you're going to serve for six months, maybe two years, three years or something like that." I committed in those caucuses to be with you for the full term, the next four years. But, if I happen to die, for some unknown reason, I think that Brother Boyd will give you the same assurances that the dues will not be increased that additional $2 if we get this $5 dues increase.

Is that right Brother Boyd?

Brother Boyd responded, "You have my word on it."

That Brothers and Sisters is my position on the dues increase.