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

 
PLUMBERS (UA)
Minneapolis Boss' Brother Admits $9,100 Theft
Joseph W. Martin, who with his union-boss brother and Minneapolis City Council Member Joe Biernat (DFL) was charged with corruption, pled guilty June 21 to federal charges of aiding and abetting the theft of $9,177 from union coffers. He is the first in the scandal to plead guilty. Martin confessed  to using union funds from the United Assn. of Plumbers & Pipe Fitters Local 15 for plumbing work in his own home. His attorney, Gerald Yost, reported that Martin claims his brother, Thomas J. Martin, Local 15 business manager, assured him the transaction was all right.

U.S. Dist. Judge Ann D. Montgomery (D. Minn., Clinton) has not set a date for Joseph Martin's sentencing. That's probably because he agreed to testify against his brother and Biernat at their trials, which were scheduled for July 1 but are expected to be held at a later date. Biernat is accused of receiving $2,700 in free plumbing work at the same time he and council colleagues were considering the appointment of Thomas Martin to the city board that licenses plumbers. Thomas Martin is accused of embezzling some $43,300 from the local. [Star-Trib. (Minneapolis) 6/22/02]
 

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.
 
Looking for a LM-2, LM-3, or LM-4 Annual Financial Report from the Department of Labor? Visit http://www.dol-union-reports.gov.

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