Futhey elected president of the new, powerful transportation division of SMART
by Justice is served. It's time to kick BLE ass!
Futhey elected president
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- Malcolm B. (Mike) Futhey Jr. was elected president of the Transportation Division of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) Workers, effective Jan. 1, 2008. Futhey was elected on the first ballot Monday, Aug. 13 at UTU's 10th quadrennial convention here at the Westin Diplomat Resort.
Futhey received 291 votes; David Hakey received 191 votes and John W. Babler received 78 votes. There are 560 delegates voting, representing UTU locals.
Also, Monday, delegates sustained a decision of the UTU Executive Board denying appeals of former general chairpersons and full-time vice general chairpersons on Canadian National in Canada who had been suspended from office by the UTU Board of Directors through resolutions dated Feb. 19 and March 21.
Still to be elected at the convention are assistant president, general secretary and treasurer, national legislative director, International vice presidents, alternates, members of the executive board and board of appeals, and a combined Canadian vice president/legislative director.
All those elected, except the new general secretary & treasurer, will take office -- or begin another term -- Jan. 1. The new GS&T will take office effective Sept. 1, to coincide with the retirement of current GS&T Dan Johnson. International President Paul Thompson and Assistant President Rick Marceau previously announced they will retire on Dec. 31.
Jan. 1 is the date the UTU’s ratified merger with the Sheet Metal Workers International Association, creating the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) Workers takes effect.
Created within SMART will be a new transportation division, and the International officers elected this week will head that division. SMWIA General President Mike Sullivan will be general president of SMART.
UTU delegates last year ratified recommendations of a UTU Blue Ribbon Committee to eliminate four International vice president positions and combine the slots in Canada of two vice presidents and the Canadian legislative director into a single position of vice president/legislative director. The result will streamline the UTU International and significantly reduce its costs of operation.
The Blue Ribbon Committee observed that while the number of active dues-paying members has declined over time, there has not been a similar decrease in the number of full-time International officers.
In 1974, there was one full-time International officer for every 5,492 active dues-paying members; but, today, there is one International officer for every 3,406 active dues-paying members. In Canada, there are three full-time International officers for 3,192 members.
The Blue Ribbon Committee recommended elimination of eight full-time International officer positions (six by abolishment and two by attrition), which would create a ratio of one full-time International officer for every 5,677 active dues-paying members.
Thus, on Dec. 31, four U.S. International vice president positions and two of three International officer positions in Canada will be abolished; and, after Jan. 1, two more U.S. vice president positions will be abolished through attrition.
Under the ratified recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Committee, any U.S. vice president position vacancies that occur for any reason before Dec. 31 (for example, the incumbent vice president was elected to a higher office, or the incumbent retired) will attrite (up to a total of four by Dec. 31).