Keeley Letter In Support of Free Expression

April 10, 2008

Re: My UTU Constitution Rights Related to the UTU / SMWIA SMART Merger

Dear Gentlemen, Sirs and Brothers,

Thank you for your long and distinguished careers of service to others. I am reminded of Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor, who was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for making the ultimate sacrifice. Mike and two teammates had taken position on the outcropping of a rooftop when an insurgent grenade bounced off Mike's chest and landed on the roof. Mike had a clear chance to escape, but he realized that the other two SEALs did not. In that terrible moment, he had two options -- to save himself, or to save his friends. For Mike, this was no choice at all. He threw himself onto the grenade, and absorbed the blast with his body. One of the survivors puts it this way: "Mikey looked death in the face that day and said, 'You cannot take my brothers. I will go in their stead.'" What Petty Officer Monsoor did inspires awe.

It is with this thought in mind that I want to thank each of you for your steadfast courage in the face of vile attempts to slander and defame you by just a handful of unhappy Brothers who will be the only beneficiaries of their selfish and unreasonable anti-union actions.



I ask that you would continue in your efforts to protect the rights of myself and other dues paying members that voted in favor of the Smart merger.

I beg that you would continue in your efforts to protect the autonomy of this and other Committees, and their General Chairpersons’ rights who have written letters supporting the SMART merger, without fear of the threat of retribution for dissenting from the opinions of other UTU Members and Officials.

I plead that you would continue in your efforts to protect the autonomy of myself and other UTU Delegates that support the SMART merger, without fear of the threat of retribution for dissenting from the opinion of other UTU Members and Officials.

In closing, I continue to support the SMART merger, along with all of you, because I believe it will bring stability to the labor movement, protect our autonomy, increase the volume of our voice united as one and strengthen labor’s ability to secure a better working environment now and well into our future.

Fraternally,

Robert J. Keeley
General Chairman, UTU, GO-342
Cc General Distribution