National Legal and Policy Center -- Organized Labor Accountability Project
 
UNION CORRUPTION UPDATE
 
December 9, 2002 -- Vol. 5, Issue 25

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

 
LONGSHOREMEN (ILA)
Jacksonville ILA Official Charged with Protecting Rapist
As George Spencer campaigns for the presidency of Intl. Longshoremen Assn. Local 1408, he also awaits trial for witness tampering to shield a union member from rape charges. He is currently the financial officer and secy. of the Local, which the FBI was investigating for possible labor law violations last year.

As FBI agents monitored conversations in the union hall, they recorded Spencer offering $5,000 to persuade a woman raped by local member Jerome Williams not to testify at his trial. But reportedly, Spencer offered the bribe to a local undercover officer posing as the woman's girlfriend. And FBI agents turned their tapes over to state prosecutors, who arrested Spencer in Jan. for felony witness-tampering. Williams was convicted of rape and armed kidnapping last May. Circuit Judge Michael Weatherby labeled him a sexual predator, and sentenced him to life in prison.

Spencer is still running for Local president, with the election scheduled for Dec. 16., two weeks after he appears in court. It is not clear whether the union's bylaws would bar Spencer from the ofc. if he is convicted. Elected officers must not have been convicted of any one of 12 crimes, incl. murder, rape and extortion. But witness-tampering isn't named. The union itself is also facing a class-action lawsuit by two women alleging sexual discrimination and harassment by George and his brother, Charles, the current p[resident. [Florida Times-Union 11/26/02]

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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