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.
THE PLEDGE
As CRAFT, we pledge this to our fellow rank and file workers:
We affirm that, should we hold any position of Delegate or Executive Board, either of our local unions, any intermediate, or international body of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, to the extent possible and to the best of our abilities we will;
Inform the rank and file members of our local unions of any upcoming votes we may be called upon to carry out at the earliest possible opportunity.
Actively listen to, and carry the will of the rank and file members to the voting floor whenever and wherever possible, regardless of our personal opinions on the matter.
Support our fellow CRAFT members, and will defer to this body when it is not possible to determine the overall majority disposition of the rank and file, in our particular jurisdiction.
Uphold the three core tenets of this caucus at every opportunity, namely DEMOCRACY, ACCOUNTABILITY, and TRANSPARENCY.
CRAFT Disclaimer: CRAFT is independent of The UBC but consists of UBC members who are committed to the faithful stewardship of our union. It aims to strengthen Rank and File voices in our Union and does not back "Dual Unionism" or UBC separation, unauthorized actions, or any banned activities. It is pro-Rank and File leadership, not anti-UBC leadership. CRAFT operates without formal membership or fees, relying solely on donations.