First Look: Building Trades’ Video Doc About the Post Bros. [UPDATED]

A screen shot from the union film with at least one entirely accurate statement.

Two press releases came across the transom just now.

Headline No. 1: “Philadelphia Building Trades To Premiere Video Documentary Exposing Major Health and Safety Violations at Post Brothers’ Goldtex Apartments.”

Headline No. 2: “Johnny Doc-umentary”

Both refer to a film being shown Wednesday, Oct. 2, at IBEW Local 98 Union Hall at 10:15 a.m. The film’s formal title is Deconstructing Post Brothers: Exposing the Truth Behind the Cheap Facade, and the screening will be followed by a press conference with…

local elected officials and labor leaders, including Congressman Bob Brady, State Representative Bill Keller, City Councilmen Jim Kenney and Mark Squilla, Building Trades Business Manager Pat Gillespie and IBEW Local 98 Business Manager John J. Dougherty, among others.

Below, the film itself and the press release from the Post Bros. in response to the film’s release.

 

From: Post Bros.

RE: “Johnny Doc-umentary”

Earlier today agents for Local 98 sent out an invitation to a press event tomorrow, to unveil a video entitled “Deconstructing Post Brothers: Exposing the Truth Behind the Cheap Facade”. The labor union’s “Johnny Doc-umentary” should have been called Labor Gone Wild. It’s nothing more than a video Hail Mary from a desperate group whose fear-mongering is standing in the way of Philadelphia’s real growth.

The allegations in the video are false and reckless. While most people will see this for the propaganda that it is, we want to make sure everyone has a full view of who we really are and how we conduct our business. To show our commitment to full transparency, we will be adding a section to our Phillybully.com website where we will voluntarily share the paperwork and progress of our Goldtex site, including: building permits, certificates of occupancy, LEED air quality inspection reports (including mold testing), city contractor licenses for subcontractors, city tax payment records, workers compensation insurance records, independent safety reports, OSHA inspection reports, city health department inspection reports, and more objective third-party inspections of our site. We will also be posting a complete accounting of all our political contributions..

We will launch that part of our site within 2 weeks. And we call upon the unions and political cronies they support, to also release their political contribution information. Based on what we’ve seen in this town, we don’t expect they’ll be that honest with the public. But when you don’t have the truth on your side you have to resort to bribes, lies, and videotapes.

Update, 9:39 a.m.: The film has been set to private until the 10:15 screening, but Frank Keel, spokesperson for the Building Trades, does have this to say about the Post Brothers owners Matthew and Michael Pestronk going on the record:

The Building Trades are thrilled that the Pestronks have finally decided to be ‘transparent’ after hiding in the shadows the past two years.  Hopefully, they’ll also be releasing photos of the mold they are disguising throughout the Goldtex Apartments, the urine bottles scattered throughout the site, and copies of the pay checks paid to their numerous “1099” workers, which enables them to avoid paying their fair share of taxes.