[Lnc-business] game played with JWMarriott Austin contract

[Alicia Mattson]

Many concerns have been voiced here in recent days about actions which many
feel are stepping across boundaries of the chair's proper role.  There are
probably people who know additional information but who don't say it lest
they be cast as a rabble-rouser.  Though I've debated it a bit, I've
decided that with the happenings of late, I am going to share a couple of
things that I know.

It has been known since April 8 that the LNC was going to meet on May 2 to
discuss the status of the convention which had been called for the
JWMarriott in Austin over Memorial Day weekend.

Yet, on April 27, only 5 days prior to the LNC's planned meeting to make a
decision on the matter, the LNC Chair took a unilateral action which, had
it been successful, would have cancelled the contract with the Austin hotel.

On the afternoon of April 27, the LNC chair emailed the JWMarriott Austin a
message which in part said,
"our understanding is that JW Marriott Austin has invoked the
'Impossibility Clause' to terminate the Group Sales Agreement we executed
in March 2018, and that Ms. Moreno’s April 26, 2020 email constitutes the
'written notice' of such termination specified therein. We are therefore
writing to confirm that JW Marriott Austin’s termination of the Group Sales
Agreement is 'without liability' as set forth in the Impossibility Clause."

The rationale given was based on the hotel's inadvertent cancellation of
our room block, and the apology which they sent to our delegates who had
booked in the block.

I particularly note that the language said that "our understanding is..."
which implies that he is speaking on behalf of the LNC.  The LNC had not
been consulted on this.  The LNC had a meeting scheduled in 5 days to
deliberate the subject.  The COC had not been consulted on this.  This was
the action of one person purporting to represent "our" understanding.

The hotel wrote back again apologizing for the mistake with our guest room
reservations, but they said essentially:  make no mistake, we are NOT
invoking the impossibility clause, we still have a contract with you and
look forward to hosting your event.

Bylaws Article 10.1 clearly states that the LNC sets the time and place of
our national conventions.  LNC Policy Manual 2.02.7 delegates a lot of
matters to the Convention Oversight Committee, including making
recommendations about sites, however the LNC clearly retains the sole
authority to select a convention site.

Since the LNC chose the time/place, the only power within the organization
to change that decision also lies with the LNC.

Had this email been successful in its purpose, the LNC would have had the
decision made for them before our May 2 meeting even started.  None of us
are in the dark about the fact that this move would have completely changed
that meeting in a way that leaned towards the chair's desired outcome.

I think the chair overstepped in this matter.

In addition, the COC has encountered a situation in which a staff member
(whom I will not name because it's not fair to that person who did not ask
to be put in the middle) was directed to get in between the COC and a
potential backup venue we were contacting.  This interference with the COC
is a policy violation, is terribly unfair to the staff member in question,
and given the other happenings it feels like an attempt to torpedo backup
options, resulting in an increased likelihood of us moving in the direction
the chair has said he wishes to go.

I think my fellow LNC members should know about it when their authority to
make decisions is being undermined in this way.

According to the Peter Parker Principle, with great power comes great
responsibility.

The position of LNC Chair is just such a position.  It gives a person
direct control over staff members and all party assets.  It is important
for a chair to stay within the boundaries of the bylaws and LNC policy and
resist the temptations that come with the title, particularly in times when
the organization is stressed.

-Alicia