LABORERS (LIUNA)
Connecticut Boss Settles Suit over Dues Hikes
Conn. Dist. Council of LIUNA settled a lawsuit Nov. 4 charging it with
illegally collecting and increasing the dues of members. The suit, by Local
665 in Bridgeport, its business manager Ronald B. Nobili and 6 members,
alleged that the council unilaterally raised dues without seeking member
approval in violation of federal law. It also alleged that the funds were
used to pay excessive salaries and personal expenses of council bosses
and were distributed to serve bosses’ political interests, rather than
the interests of the membership. The settlement requires the council to
discontinue the practice and requires future increases be put to a secret
ballot vote of the members. Council bosses agreed in the settlement not
to retaliate against the plaintiffs and pay $100,000 in attorneys’ fees.
The practices began in 1977 under ex-boss Dominick Lopreato, who is serving
a 4-year federal prison sentence for kickbacks, and continued under the
current council boss, Charles LeConche, who also heads Local 230 in Hartford.
[BNA 11/6/98]
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Union Corruption Update is part of NLPC's Organized Labor Accountability Project which is investigating and exposing corruption and extremism in the Teamsters, LIUNA, AFL-CIO and many other union organizations. NLPC is a nonpartisan, nonprofit foundation promoting ethics and accountability in government through research, education and legal action.
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