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What's Wrong
with this Picture?
True Stories
Of What Ails
The Labor Movement
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Contents:
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"Abuse
of Members and Misuse
Of Union Funds" by PA Conference
Of Teamsters President
Newspaper accounts report that Johnny Morris, longtime President of the
140,000 member Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters was removed as
secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 115. After 11 days of hearings it was
concluded that:
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Members were intimidated and sometimes physically attacked by the Morris
administration to discourage political opposition (Morris associates pled guilty
to assault after the beating of one member was broadcast on national
television);
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The Morris administration purchased weapons, including 2 shotguns, 20
stun guns, pepper spray and military gear with union dues;
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The local routinely failed to provide members with copies of their
collective bargaining contracts.
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Carpenters
Member Expelled
After Protesting Elimination
Of Membership Contract Ratification
John Reimann, a 30-year member of the Carpenters Union was expelled from the
union after a protest over the lack of membership ratification of a
"contractor-friendly" contract. He was accused of leading a wildcat
strike which was joined by 2000 other carpenter union members from 44 counties.
Rather than allow "one member, one vote" membership ratification of
contracts, the Northern California Carpenters Regional Council had substituted a
procedure which merely required delegate approval. Delegates are thought to be
hand-picked by the Council President.
The unusual protest was brought about by the fact that the imposed contract’s
terms ensured that the carpenters were the lowest-paid craft at the San
Francisco Airport Project.
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Former
AFSCME Leader
Pleads Guilty to Stealing $2 Million
Charles Hughes, once one of New York City’s most
"influential" union leaders, pled guilty April 19 to stealing over $2
million from Local 372 of the American Federation of State County and Municipal
Employees (AFSCME). Hughes is the most senior figure to plead guilty in the
AFSCME District Council 37 probe that has now resulted in the guilty pleas of 19
former leaders.
According to some reports, Hughes’ actions forced Local 372
into a $10 million debt, even though it collected $19 million a year in dues.
The New York Times reported on April 4 that Local 372 members pay $75 a
month in dues even though many members earn less than $20,000 per year.
Hughes admitted to stealing $1.29 million in unearned,
unauthorized pay; spending over $100,000 of union money on a trip he and 14
relatives and friends took to Egypt, Israel, Prague, Paris and London, and using
$97,000 in union funds on no-show jobs for friends in Millen, Georgia.
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Laborers
Give $335,000 Yearly
Pension to Disgraced Ex-President
The following editorial appeared in the Providence Journal
Bulletin (Jan 3, 2000) after Laborer’s President Coia accepted a plea
bargain on Federal tax evasion charges:
"It would be nice to say that the resignation of Arthur A.
Coia as president of the Laborers’ Union puts an end to [its] long history of
dubious practices. But that hardly seems the case. Coia will retain his $335,516
annual salary for the rest of his life, and serve as General President Emeritus
well into the millennium. [He] is getting a sweetheart deal that no member of
his union could ever hope to emulate..."
"The hard-working, dues-paying members of the Laborers’
Union is left with a vision of their president, a wealthy lawyer who served just
six years in office, retiring at age 56 with a pension of $335,516 a year.
Perhaps they could augment the picture with an image of Mr. Coia driving off
into the sunset behind the wheel of that $450,000 Ferrari he purchased from a
Rhode Island dealer."
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Rank-and-File
Carpenters
Excluded from Contract Vote
Carpenters in Northern California, unhappy with a new five-year
union contract approved by their leadership without ratification, launched a
wildcat strike interfering with construction at San Francisco International
Airport, Pac Bell Park and other high-profile projects in the Bay Area in order
to force a vote.
More than two dozen Carpenters Union locals in 44 counties, who
are affiliated with the Northern California Regional Council of Carpenters
joined the strike.
Bill Banuelos, a lather with San Jose Local 144, explained that
rank and file members were excluded from the meeting at which a group of Council
President John Casey’s hand-picked delegates approved the contract.
Banuelos, quoted in the San Francisco Chronicle explained
"We told Casey we wouldn’t strike if we got a chance to revote on the
contract, but he told us to shove off."
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Local
Union Elections
Canceled by Trustee
In another news item the Seattle Post Intelligencer notes
that two members of Teamsters Local 556 in Eastern Washington are suing their
union in federal court arguing that the trusteeship imposed on their local is
undemocractic.
Earlier this year members of the local engaged in a tough strike
against the meat processor IBP. Activists who came forward during the strike
sought to run for office. However they were prevented from doing so by the
imposition of trusteeship on the local union.
Instead of allowing local elections to go forward, a
"trustee" sent from the national union was empowered to run the local
and make changes in the local leadership. One of the first was to fire the Chief
Shop Steward, Maria Martinez, who had been very active in the strike, and was a
candidate for office.
The suit asks the court to end the trusteeship and to order the
reinstatement of Maria Martinez. "We are going to court to fight for our
right to choose our leaders for ourselves and to direct our own destiny,"
said Maria Sauceda, a local union member, in a prepared statement.
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