Letter from the FOP regarding Teamster attacks on MNPEA attorney Rob Fowler

Members Of The Minnesota Fraternal Order Of Police:

As some of you know, our general counsel Robert Fowler has been working hard to add membership to our organization. He is general counsel to a new labor union, MNPEA, that will bring roughly 250 officers into the FOP and our Legal Defense Plan (LDP) this year alone. MNPEA is not officially affiliated with the FOP - we remain unaffiliated with any labor group, but MNPEA will be offering to it's sworn law enforcement members the FOP's LDP. Many of the bargaining groups being brought into MNPEA are from the Teamsters.

Recently, bulk emails were sent out by a group sponsored by Teamsters 320 that is trying to discredit MNPEA's Business Agents and our own FOP Attorney. The emails state Mr. Fowler was fired from his previous employer and has been accused by the MN Attorney General's Office for stealing money from the FOP. I understand that any labor group has a right to maintain their membership numbers, but I take exception to this false accusation. Fowler's contract with the FOP started in 2005.

We have always had a system in place where we pay Mr. Fowler a flat rate for each LDP member, plus an annual vehicle allowance that started several years ago. He has never had access to our bank accounts or finances. Paul and I can say with absolute certainty that Rob Fowler has never stolen money from our organization - that would be impossible.

As your President, I contacted the AG's Office and even though they could not comment directly on this accusation, I was told that their office "would not investigate this type of complaint". I can also state with certainty that Mr. Fowler was not fired from his previous law job with Pat Kelly's Office, this was acknowledged during the bidding process for the FOP contract.

We are concerned because these false emails could cause our own members to question whether our organization or legal defense plan are worthwhile. Our legal defense plan and the services offered by our attoney are without question invaluable, and Mr. Fowler has always maintained high integrity. Please forward this out to your fellow lodge members and correctly inform anyone in your workplaces who may have heard this type of false misinformation. Let them know that the accusations are false.

As President, I also feel that you should know that there is a new labor union option out there. Mr. Fowler is MNPEA's general counsel so you will be assured quality legal representation. We have had some issues in the past with Teamsters coming close to crossing the line into FOP matters, and I feel that this latest attack clearly does cross that line. I feel you should question whether representation by Teamsters is appropriate for you, as law enforcement officers, when such clearly false and defamatory accusations are being made against our FOP attorney.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and feel free to contact Treasurer Dooley or myself if you have questions.

Gary Cayo
MN FOP President

Paul Dooley
MN FOP Treasurer

Vote for Fred Gegare this week!

You should receive a ballot from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters this week for the general election. I encourage you to vote, and to vote for the Fred Gegare slate. I was a delegate to the 2011 Teamsters Convention and fully support him and his entire slate.


My, our beef, is with Teamsters Local 320 not the International. Yes, we are in the process of decertifying 320, they won't have a local election for two years and we can't take another two years of their abuse. Give a gift to our brothers and sisters in the labor movement, vote in someone who wants to return the power of the Teamsters to the members. Hoffa needs to go!


By the way, thank you Teamsters local 320, because you "protested" the list of names provided to the Bureau of Mediation Services we will all still be able to vote in the Teamsters General election!

NOTICE

On September 6th, 2011

CARDS WERE FILED WITH THE BUREAU OF MEDIATION SERVICES TO DECERTIFY TEAMSTERS LOCAL 320 AS THE EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HENNEPIN COUNTY DETENTION DEPUTIES, TELECOMMUNICATORS AND DETENTION TECHS AND TO CHOOSE THE MINNESOTA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION (MNPEA) AS THE EXCLUSIVE REPRESENTATIVE.


*The number of cards filed was an overwhelming majority.

Who would support the Sue Mauren slate?

On her website Sue Mauren says, "Experienced, Proven Leadership You Can Trust."

But right below that is a notice from the OFFICE OF THE ELECTION SUPERVISOR
for the INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS declaring she violated the election rules! Go to her website and see for yourself: http://suemauren.com/

What other rules does the Mauren Slate violate? United States Copyright Laws! Brett Ohnstad, a delegate on the Sue Mauren Slate has violated Copyright laws against me by illegally uploading music and/or videos of mine and against Mike Golen of our slate. Here's the links:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haxF7HPzpAw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC_9aMc7nvY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AQXdLddcFco

The Sue Mauren Slate also launched a bigoted campaign against me on religious grounds. See my video response to another one of their videos pulled by YouTube for Copyright violations. My YouTube response video is "I Am A Teamster."

In short the Sue Mauren Slate violates election rules, Copyright Laws and is willing to launch attacks on members who hold different religious philosophies then theirs. Is this the Experienced, Proven Leadership You Can Trust?

The Sue Mauren Slate is supporting Hoffa in the IBT elections. Teamsters Election Supervisor: Hoffa Lied to Cover Up Bribery Attempts Birds of a feather!

I am running as a Delegate on the Anyone But Hoffa Slate. You deserve better leadership.

Sue Mauren Slate found in Violation of Election Rules

The Election Supervisor has found that Sue Mauren and the Mauren slate violated the
Election Rules by accepting web design and hosting services for the Mauren website from
Razworks LLC, a commercial web design and hosting service. Campaign contributions from nonmembers are strictly prohibited by the Rules. The Election Supervisor has directed Mauren to pay Razworks its usual and customary charges for the services provided and to cease using non-member contributions to campaign.

The Election Supervisor has issued this decision in Laszlo, 2010 ESD 87 (January 27, 2011).
You may read this decision at http://www.ibtvote.org/protests/2010/2011esd087.htm.