Amid an uproar unseen in years at a Building Trades conference, Painters President Michael E. Monroe blasted Department President Edward C. Sullivan and announced he would challenge Sullivan for the top job.

'For one solid year, I've been fighting my ass off to help our president,' Monroe declared. 'But everything you got up and bragged about you didn't do a goddamn thing for.

'This is the time for a good old-fashioned fight,' Monroe exclaimed to a mixture of boos and cheers. 'I've lived too good a life to walk away. I'm announcing my candidacy against this phony son-of-a-bitch!'

Monroe's statement, at the opening general session of the Building Trades Department's legislative conference on April 15, was foreshadowed when booing started during parts of Sullivan's speech just before.

The booing came from approximately 150 Painters and allies in the middle of the 3,000-delegate floor. They started booing when Sullivan mentioned building trades' support for President Bush's energy policy.

'We will partner with anyone who will help us do it, and that includes supporting the Bush administration' on energy, Sullivan said.

The boos also came just after Sullivan urged continuing local cooperation with the Carpenters, who left the AFL-CIO and the department just over a year ago.

Vote would be in 3? years
A stunned Sullivan prefaced Monroe's comments - which were not on the program - by saying 'Brother Monroe has a few words to say.'

After Monroe's declaration, Sullivan said 'That's a union meeting for you - we'll go on and do our vote.' He said the next presidential vote in the 14-union department would be at its next general convention in 3? years.

Monroe left the podium quickly and did not elaborate about why he plans to challenge Sullivan. Painters from Seattle told PAI it was because of the department's support for Bush's energy plan.

They said they and Monroe are upset by support for Bush's plan even while Bush tries to kill project labor agreements for construction work and while Bush pushes other anti-worker measures. Other delegates also said lack of movement on the Carpenters negotiations played a large part. Talks have gone nowhere, even though Sullivan said the department wants them to reaffiliate.

In the latest talks, Sullivan said, Carpenters President Douglas McCarron 'advanced conditions' for reaffiliation, including the ouster of Sullivan and department Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Maloney.

'One of the items was the jurisdictional issue, and we're working hard on it and the discussions are ongoing,' Sullivan added. AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney, who also spoke and who has also been part of the talks, said the next meeting with McCarron is scheduled for next week.

But as for the personnel issues, Sullivan added: 'I will not set arbitrary deadlines, I will listen to all, and I will resist any pleas for precipitous action from either side of the table.

'As for myself, it is not about who will run it (the department) but about where we are going. It's not about who's in the driver's seat.'

One union leader said that statement might have been 'the straw that broke the camel's back,' which led to Monroe's declaration.

Mark Gruenberg writes for Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.