1731 Franks v. Local Union 7777

Franks identified a potentially serious fault in the integrity of the electoral process at Local Union 7777 during its 2013 triennial election. Election Committee Chairperson McDonald’s support for President Jeter’s defiance of the IEB’s order to rerun the runoff election for president gave credence to Franks’s argument that McDonald was an active supporter of Jeter’s candidacy, rather than the impartial supervisor anticipated by Article 38, §10(c).  The chairperson’s support for this stance violated the trust placed in her by the members who elected her to supervise the 2013 triennial election.  The members of this local union are entitled to have their future leaders elected in accordance with the democratic procedures outlined in the Constitution.  The Constitution provides a means to restore those procedures.  Article 12, §3 of the Constitution empowers the IEB to step in and make any necessary adjustments to restore the orderly governance of a local union.  We have now been informed by President Williams’s staff that an administrator has been designated to supervise the affairs of Local Union 7777 in order to restore democratic procedures. There is nothing further we can do under the present circumstances to address the conflicts that continue to plague the political process at this local union.  We are satisfied that the IEB is closely supervising the operation of Local Union 7777 and its preparations for upcoming elections.