National Legal and Policy Center -- Organized Labor Accountability Project
 
UNION CORRUPTION UPDATE
 
July 8, 2002 -- Vol. 5, Issue 14

For Influential Leaders & Important Decision Makers:
Information on America's most corrupt & aggressive unions

 
IRON WORKERS (IAIW)
New Yorker Admits $57,700 Theft
Nancy Barber pled guilty June 24 to one count of embezzling an estimated $57,769 from Int'l Assn. of Iron Workers Local 12 in Albany, N.Y. As the local's primary bookkeeper between 1993-99, she regularly pocketed cash received by the union for dues and other payments, stealing money in small increments that went undetected for years. Allegedly, by a "check substitution scheme," Barber used payments made with checks to cover the receipts issued for cash she stole. Barber quit her job in 1999, shortly before union bosses learned of the theft and notified federal officials.

Reportedly, Barber's plea was the result of a ongoing investigation involving the FBI and the Dept. of Labor. The local's former financial secy. and business agent, Michael Burns, who also is Albany County Democratic chairman, stepped down from the union post last year after the Local 12 leaders disclosed the federal investigation into the missing money. It appears that this investigation may be connected to the large IAIW probe that has led to nine indictment and seven guilty pleas on the intl. union level.

Barber was released without bail. U.S. Dist. Judge Lawrence Kahn (N.D.N.Y., Clinton) set sentencing for Oct. 16. She is expected to receive between five and sixteen months in prison, according to prosecutors. Local 12 represents workers in N.Y., Mass. and Vt. [Times Union (Albany) 6/25/02]

Union Corruption Update is made possible by the generous contributions from readers like you. NLPC, PO Box 6821, Falls Church, VA 22040. Thank you. Union Corruption Update is part of NLPC's Organized Labor Accountability Project which is investigating and exposing corruption 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.

In addition to the unions and organizations covered in this Union Corruption Update, readers can look forward to news and information on other corrupt and abusive unions in future editions.  All back issues of the Union Corruption Update can be viewed at NLPC's website (http://www.nlpc.org).  Also available is a union-by-union and state-by-state index of all Union Corruption Update articles. If you have story ideas or suggestions for future editions of Union Corruption Update, please email NLPC at nlpc@nlpc.org.  Thank you.
 
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