Teamsters file ethics complaint against Scott

[officer1]

Teamsters try to block prison privatization, file ethics complaint against Gov. Rick Scott

The complaint fires a conflict of interest charge against Gov. Rick Scott, claiming a nexus between more than $1 million in campaign contributions from the top private prison companies and its executives to political parties and candidates, the state's $7 million investment in those companies (the Corrections Corp. of America and the GEO Group) and the decision to privatize prison operations in 18 South Florida counties.

Scott is named because, as governor, he is chairman of the State Board of Administration, the agency that oversees the state's investments. Scott has a role in shaping SBA policies, but not directing specific investments.

"The conflict of interest is real," said Michael Filler of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. "The fox is guarding the henhouse."

When it comes to financial issues, Florida's conflict of interest laws generally guard against using public office for personal gain. The governor's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Meanwhile, the Teamsters are in a pitched battle right now to take over representation of prison guards from the Police Benevolent Association and the group faced questions about what their own interests. (The PBA has filed a lawsuit over privatization.)
"Our interest in privatization has to do with what the impact is on Floridians and jobs for the people who work for the state Department of Corrections," Filler said. "If we are successful, and we think we will be, in our effort to represent these employees, that's a future thing."


Read more: miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2011/09/teamsters-try-to-block-prison-privatization-file-ethics-complaint-against-gov-rick-scott.html#ixzz1Y9LQfhV7

[2ndtimearound]

And Jimmy Hoffa telling the POTUS he has an army and is ready to march is not a conflict of interest. That is not who I ever want representing me. The dues will go from here right up the chain to the national union to help fund thier goals at a national level. But what do I know?

[Homer Simpson]

Sept 16, 2011 21:58:35 GMT -5 2ndtimearound said:

And Jimmy Hoffa telling the POTUS he has an army and is ready to march is not a conflict of interest. That is not who I ever want representing me. The dues will go from here right up the chain to the national union to help fund thier goals at a national level. But what do I know?

Heres a little "secret" that maybe some of you have not figured out yet. ALL unions will back those liberal Democratic pro- Obama socialist, blah blah blah whatever candidates now. It don't matter, Teamsters or AFL-CIO affiliated PBA. And this is because they have to . The Democrats are the only ones that are serving the best interests of the unions.The Republicans have been high jacked by the Tea Party. Listen to the news and figure it out. The Tea Party along with the Republicans are anti-state and govt employee, anti - union, particularly govt. employee union and a pro privatization. The only Republican in the Florida House that has spoken up for us that I can think of is Rep. Mike Fasano (Republican- New Port Richey). The rest of them want to go along with what ever Gov. Psycho wants. And when you hear them talk about no new state taxes, cutting corporate taxes to create jobs blah blah, well guess where they are going to have to get the money to fill in the shortcomings of the budget? State employees of course! With more pay cuts, benefits cuts, pension cuts etc. Look at the tally on who voted to privatize Region IV. All of them who voted for privatization, Republicans. Against, Democrats. Hello, it ain't rocket science people. How do you expect to get a pay raise or keep what you have when you keep electing people who are anti-state employee, anti-union and pro-privatization. This is why the Teamsters will be just as ineffective if not more so, than the PBA, because as state employees, we depend upon the good graces of 1) the legislature and 2) the Governor. Now I know alot of you are gonna say, "Well I ain't gonna support nobody thats one of those liberal, Obama loving , socialist Democrats". Really, well thats cool. Just don't cry and whine and scratch your head when you can't figure out why we haven't had a pay raise since 2006 and ain't gonna get a pay raise anytime in the foreseeable future and will probably lose what little we have under our present political circumstances in Tallahassee.

[lawton]

The teamsters won't be of any help. Just vote Democrat for State representation regardless of who you vote for on the national level.

[brucifer]

Sept 21, 2011 17:25:48 GMT -5 lawton said:

The teamsters won't be of any help. Just vote Democrat for State representation regardless of who you vote for on the national level.

So you recommend just vote by party. I guess it does not matter if they are a good candidate or not?

[Homer Simpson]

Well as state employees it would certainly be is our best interests to vote for a political candidate on a state level at least, who is 1) pro-public employee union 2) pro- state employee and 3) against the privatization of government services. Now I wonder which party such a candidate would be affiliated with. Would they have a D or an R by their name? Hmmmmmmm.

[sfcwoodret]

Probably an Independent.

[dudex]

Sept 21, 2011 17:25:48 GMT -5 lawton said:

The teamsters won't be of any help. Just vote Democrat for State representation regardless of who you vote for on the national level.

Well its probably wise to take into consideration the candidates that the PBA/Teamsters recommend (on a state level). They will be out there talking to all of them to see where they stand.

[dudex]

Sept 23, 2011 11:29:10 GMT -5 Homer Simpson said:

Well as state employees it would certainly be is our best interests to vote for a political candidate on a state level at least, who is 1) pro-public employee union 2) pro- state employee and 3) against the privatization of government services. Now I wonder which party such a candidate would be affiliated with. Would they have a D or an R by their name? Hmmmmmmm.

Well if you consider Senator Mike Fasano (R). There are still moderate republicans who are on our side.

[haze]

Being that you cannot spell "Sergeant" , maybe it is a good idea to sit on midnights for at least a year or until you can spell the rank you want to be..........

[steps]

Sept 21, 2011 17:25:48 GMT -5 lawton said:

The teamsters won't be of any help. Just vote Democrat for State representation regardless of who you vote for on the national level.

Just be a strong union in a state controled by Democrats and things will always be good for state workers..wait a second...WTF...how can this be

ALBANY -- It’s pink slips for 3,500 state workers -- unless their union revotes a contract that members rejected.

Cuomo administration officials said layoff notices were going out yesterday and today after the state’s second largest public employees union announced thumbs down on a proposed five-year austerity contract that would freeze wages for three years and require concessions.

Gov. Cuomo has threatened layoffs to help achieve $450 million in budgeted workforce cuts if employees don’t accept concessions.

He urged members of the Public Employees Federation to “reconsider” after the union announced the contract rejection yesterday by a 54-46 percent vote, with nearly 70 percent of the 56,000 members casting ballots.

“In this economic reality, rising state workforce costs are unsustainable, as the members of the Civil Service Employees Association, the state’s largest union, recognized when they overwhelmingly passed an identical contract” last month, Cuomo said.

Director of State Operations Howard Glaser said CSEA members will not be affected by the layoffs, which would take effect in three weeks.

While PEF President Kenneth Brynien urged Cuomo to return to the bargaining table, an administration official told The Post a revote is “the only possibility” to avoid layoffs.

“The governor can’t renegotiate with PEF because he’ll get killed by CSEA, and rightfully so,’’ the official said.

PEF’s professional, scientific and technical employees are generally higher paid than CSEA’s 66,000 direct-care, administrative and support-services workers.

Brynien said his members objected to contract requirements that higher-paid workers pony up more for health-care contributions but receive less in lump-sum payments, proportionately, than lower-paid employees.

“They have said that they deserve better,” Brynien said. “Although they’re willing to make sacrifices, the cuts that are demanded of them in this tentative agreement were just too many and they cut too deep.

“Public employees felt they’ve been attacked in these contract negotiations.”



Read more: www.nypost.com/p/news/local/layoffs_rest_on_union_revote_K9yvoNUoLgBAUW0kkeAUsN#ixzz1ZFM1nF3z

[lawton]

Sept 28, 2011 7:12:44 GMT -5 steps said:

Sept 21, 2011 17:25:48 GMT -5 lawton said:

The teamsters won't be of any help. Just vote Democrat for State representation regardless of who you vote for on the national level.

Just be a strong union in a state controled by Democrats and things will always be good for state workers..wait a second...WTF...how can this be

ALBANY -- It’s pink slips for 3,500 state workers -- unless their union revotes a contract that members rejected.

Cuomo administration officials said layoff notices were going out yesterday and today after the state’s second largest public employees union announced thumbs down on a proposed five-year austerity contract that would freeze wages for three years and require concessions.

Gov. Cuomo has threatened layoffs to help achieve $450 million in budgeted workforce cuts if employees don’t accept concessions.

He urged members of the Public Employees Federation to “reconsider” after the union announced the contract rejection yesterday by a 54-46 percent vote, with nearly 70 percent of the 56,000 members casting ballots.

“In this economic reality, rising state workforce costs are unsustainable, as the members of the Civil Service Employees Association, the state’s largest union, recognized when they overwhelmingly passed an identical contract” last month, Cuomo said.

Director of State Operations Howard Glaser said CSEA members will not be affected by the layoffs, which would take effect in three weeks.

While PEF President Kenneth Brynien urged Cuomo to return to the bargaining table, an administration official told The Post a revote is “the only possibility” to avoid layoffs.

“The governor can’t renegotiate with PEF because he’ll get killed by CSEA, and rightfully so,’’ the official said.

PEF’s professional, scientific and technical employees are generally higher paid than CSEA’s 66,000 direct-care, administrative and support-services workers.

Brynien said his members objected to contract requirements that higher-paid workers pony up more for health-care contributions but receive less in lump-sum payments, proportionately, than lower-paid employees.

“They have said that they deserve better,” Brynien said. “Although they’re willing to make sacrifices, the cuts that are demanded of them in this tentative agreement were just too many and they cut too deep.

“Public employees felt they’ve been attacked in these contract negotiations.”



Read more: www.nypost.com/p/news/local/layoffs_rest_on_union_revote_K9yvoNUoLgBAUW0kkeAUsN#ixzz1ZFM1nF3z

OK but I can show hundreds of those situations with Reps and it would have been deeper with Reps.

[lawton]

Sept 22, 2011 23:47:45 GMT -5 brucifer said:

Sept 21, 2011 17:25:48 GMT -5 lawton said:

The teamsters won't be of any help. Just vote Democrat for State representation regardless of who you vote for on the national level.

So you recommend just vote by party. I guess it does not matter if they are a good candidate or not?

Of course I would vote for friends like Fasano but as a rule its Reps trying to rape the state workers here - just go look at the videos of the budget hearings.