November 12. 2004
Sharon Ilson-Burke
President
Local 798, I.A.T.S.E.
152 West 24th Street
New York, NY 10001
Dear Sharon,
As you will recall, I have on several occasions, expressed to you my
dissatisfaction with the
current state of affairs with respect to the Union. I am dismayed, in
particular, with the allegations of
the Union's Business Agent, Vince Callaghan, which I feel may have compromised
the integrity
of the Board, and jeopardized the interests of the membership. Accordingly, I am
confirming my
resignation from the Executive Board, which I previously announced to the
membership present
at the general meeting of October 19.2004, effective that date.
I do not intend to prejudge the legal and ethical issues involved in the
transactions concerning the
Union property located at 152 West 24th Street, New York, NY 10011. Those are
issues to be
examined, evaluated, and acted upon by legal counsel for the Union, the
membership, and
appropriate legal authorities. As a member of the Board, I am however,
disappointed that certain
actions were taken without informing us of what was being done, what was
intended, and what
the consequences might be for the Union. Furthermore, I am deeply disturbed to
see that an
attendance sheet I signed was subsequently altered to make it appear that my
signature was
affixed to a document purporting to authorize actions that I knew nothing about.
never authorized.
and would not have authorized had I been informed of those actions.
I agreed to serve on the Executive Board in order to serve the membership. I
have attempted to
discharge my fiduciary obligations to the membership to the best of my ability
in good faith, and
in a honest and ethical manner. The actions described above have. I believe at
the very least,
compromised the integrity of the Board and called into question the ethical
standard~ under which
we were asked to operate.
I will continue my active involvement as a member of the Union. I do not,
however, wish for my
membership on the Board to be construed as approving the manner in which certain
business was
conducted.
Please accept my wishes for a prompt and just disposition of this matter, so
that the Board can
renew its focus on its primary function of working in the best interests of the
membership.
~Toy Russell Van Lierop
cc: James M. Murphy, Esq.
Spivak, Lipton, Watanabe, Spivak & Moss LLP