DEMOCRACY
ACCOUNTABILITY
TRANSPARENCY
CARPENTERS RANK AND FILE TOGETHER (CRAFT) is a reform group made up of rank and file members of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters.
We believe that the power of a union lies in the hands of the rank the file, and that our leadership should reflect that.
THE PLATFORM
Democracy In Our Union.
The current system of Delegate Bodies is broken. Delegates who are not of the rank and file do not answer to the rank and file, and so democracy does not exist. We advocate for a return to referendum votes (1 Member, 1 Vote) for contract ratifications at the local level, and for elections of all officers, including the General President and Executive Board at the international level.
Accountability In Fringe Benefits
The opportunity for “Retirement with Dignity” no longer exists for thousands of our members, with no clear roadmap to return. Increases to health care costs continue deplete our raises, without a vote. Plan subsidies are largely unexplained. We believe that these benefits should be administered at the direction of the Rank and File members, who should have seats on each of these Benefit Trusts.
Transparency In Contract Negotiations
Previous contract negotiation tactics have failed to win raises that keep up with inflation, let alone outpace it. We call for open negotiations, with daily updates, and Rank and File representatives on the negotiating teams. Negotiating from a position of strength requires that the members should be organized ahead of time, and be allowed the resources and training necessary to take collective action.