Also at the top of the DOLs list is a report by frmr. IL gov. James Thompson on the stock deals, in which Ullico directors bought the union-pension-owned company stock in late 1999 at $54 a share  knowing that it would be hiked to $146 in 2000.  A year later, the same union directors voted to sell their $146 shares  knowing that Ullico stock would soon fall to $71. When the inside stock profit scheme became public knowledge last year, Georgine asked his old friend, frmr. gov. Thompson, to conduct an internal investigation.

Thompson completed his report in November. In an effort to keep the report under attny./client privilege, Georgine strictly controlled access to the report, allowing only Ullico directors who agreed not to discuss its contents to read the report without taking notes.  DOL is investigating whether any of the union chiefs who sit on the Ullico bd. should be stripped of their union positions, and subpoenaed the report and other documents on Jan. 3. Georgine apparently ignored the subpoena, even after DOL extended its deadline by two weeks.

U.S. Dist. Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle (D.C., Clinton) has ordered Georgine to appear before her on Feb. 21 to defend his secrecy. [Austin American-Statesman 2/13/03]

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR (DOL)
Bush 2004 Budget Adds Funds to "Revitalize" Labor-Mgmt Standards Ofc.
Pres. George W. Bush, on Feb. 3, proposed adding $8.3 million and 75 new staffers to better protect union members rights and promote the financial accountability of union officials.

At a press conference announcing the Dept. of Labors proposed budget for fiscal year 2004, Deputy Secy. of Labor Cameron D. Findlay said that the Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards (OLMS) would receive an extra $6.1 million, along with the new staff, to improve the OLMS enforcement of the Labor-Mgmt. Reporting & Disclosure Act (LMRDA). Also known as the Landrum-Griffin Act, that 1959 law mandates free and fair local union elections, and requires union officials to annually report the finances of their unions to DOL.

But acc. to Victoria A. Lipnic, Asst. Secy. of Labor for Employment Standards, cuts in the OLMS staff since 1991 have hampered the OLMS efforts to enforce the LMRDA. In the area of union democracy, for instance, investigations of elections, supervised elections and union trusteeships all decreased in FY 2002. And while the OLMS periodically conducts random audits of unions, the 10 largest "have never been audited," acc. to Lipnic.
 
Nearly 59 percent of the nations unions failed to file their financial disclosure forms on time in FY 2001. So, Findlay announced that DOL would continue to seek an amendment to the LMRDA allowing the Secy. of Labor to impose fines and other civil penalties on unions "for not filing proper financial reports, just as we fine businesses for ignoring reporting requirements." The Ofc. of the Inspector General would receive an extra $2.5 million to improve its efforts to prevent organized crime influence in union matters. [DOL 2/3/03, Daily Labor Report 2/4/03]

DOL Reasserts Claim that Carpenters Councils not Required to Hold Direct Elections
The U.S. Dept. of Labor on Jan. 31, reasserted its claim that regional councils assuming local bargaining powers dont have to be elected by the members. With its "supplemental statement of reasons" (SOR) filed in the case of Thomas Harrington against the United Bhd. of Carpenters (UBC), DOL continues to side with UBC chief Douglas McCarron.

In Nov., McCarron was forced to return his profits from the insider sale of stock in Ullico, the union-controlled insurance company on whose bd. McCarron sits. A fed. grand jury in Wash., D.C. is probing the role of McCarron and four other current and frmr. intl. union bosses in the scheme that led to handsome profits for Ullico bd. members while its stock plummeted along with Global Crossing in the bursting technology bubble.

Dissident member Thomas Harrington sued McCarron in 1999 after he consolidated much of the local unions bargaining powers into regional councils not elected by the members. The DOL intervened in the case, maintaining that "intermediate" units were not req. by the Labor Mgmt. Reporting & Disclosure Act (LMRDA) to be directly elected. But in Feb. last year, the 1st Circ. Ct. of Appeals ordered the DOL to reconsider in light of its own 30-yr. rule that any unit assuming the "functions" of local unions must submit to direct election, as do locals under the LMRDA.

Citing labor scholars who see a "trend toward concentration of authority in intermediate unions," DOL attnys. conclude that unless the regional councils supersede nearly all of the local unions functions, then the regional bodies need not be considered equivalent to local unions under the LMRDA. Under the UBC arrangement, the regional councils negotiate all collective bargaining agreements; they have exclusive authority to submit grievances to binding arbitration, and only they can appoint members to trial cmtes. for union discipline. Local unions are allowed to ratify contracts, and handle grievances in their early stages.

DOL attnys. filed their SOR with U.S. Dist. Judge Richard G. Stearns (Mass., Clinton) who will decide if the DOLs reasoning is consistent with the LMRDA and their earlier regulations. [DOL 1/31/03, Daily Labor Report 2/4/03]

UNION DEMOCRACY / MACHINISTS (IAM)
DOL Sues Northwest Airline Local Over Flawed Natl. Election
On January 16, 2003, a complaint was filed in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the Dist. of Minnesota against Dist. Lodge 143 of the Intl. Assn. of Machinists (IAM), which represents some 21,800 members predominately employed by Northwest Airlines headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. The complaint resulted from an investigation by the Minneapolis branch of the U.S. Ofc. Of Labor-Mgmt. Standards into the district lodge's August 13, 2002 election. It revealed that six locals failed to hold an election, eleven locals failed to send out an election notice, and 25 locals sent out an inadequate election notice. The complaint seeks a new election under OLMS supervision. [OLMS 2/5/03]

TRANSIT WORKERS (ATU)
Frmr. Wall Street Week Regular Sentenced for Defrauding Union Pensions
Alan B. Bond, once a regular on "Wall Street Week with Louis Rukeyser," was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison on Feb. 11 for defrauding union and other pension funds of $56 million. Sr. U.S. Dist. Judge Leonard Sand (Sou. Dist. NY, Carter) also ordered the frmr. President of Albriond Capital Mgmt. to pay $6.6 million in restitution and a $36,000 fine as he condemned Bond's "greed."

Bond was convicted last June of cherry-picking profitable stock trades into his private account, while moving losing trades into his clients accounts. Two of those clients were Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 725 in Birmingham, Ala., and ATU Local 1220 in Richmond, Va. Strangely, those officials stuck with Bond even after he was indicted in Dec. 1999 on charges that he used kickbacks from stock-brokerage firms commissions to pay for gifts to James Thomas, a trustee of ATU Local 689s pension plan in Wash., D.C.

Until he was indicted again in Aug. 2001, Bond's union clients lost two-thirds of the value of their pension funds, even as he received a 5,000% return on his investments at a time when the stock market was declining. [Los Angeles Times 2/12/03]

OPERATING ENGINEERS (IUOE)
18 More NYC School Custodians Indicted for Bribes, Kickbacks
NY Attny. Gen. Eliot Spitzer announced on Feb. 10 the arrest of 18 school custodians and a cleaning contractor on charges of bribes, rigged bids and kickbacks involving each schools cleaning contract. They were arraigned in the Bronx County Sup. Ct. the same day. The latest indictments come a little more than a year after 11 custodians were charged with similar crimes.

Acc. to the latest charges, 17 of the custodians arranged for Thomas Robinson to get the schools window cleaning contracts without considering at least two other bids, as required by the NYC Dept. of Educ. for services costing over $250. Robinson himself provided phony bids, some from firms that didnt exist. After being selected, Robinson would pay the custodians a kickback of 10-50% of each contract, which ranged from $1,000 to $4,000 cash. The scheme is alleged to have occurred from 1996-2001.

Local 891 of the Intl. Union of Operating Engineers, which represents the 850 custodians, has long been the subject of corruption scandals in NYC. In 1996, five custodians were indicted for stealing school money by manipulating time clocks and other abuses. In 2001, the Attny. Gen. and the Special Commissioner of Investigation for the NYC School Dist., concluded that there was too much money and too little incentive to discourage corruption in the cleaning contract process. The union's contract allows the custodians to control more than $40 million set aside for cleaning services. And since they can keep a portion of the unspent budget, there is little to discourage those who choose to engage in such corruption. The custodians earn as much as $92,000 a year.

If convicted, Robinson and the custodians face prison sentences ranging from four to 44 years. [NY Attny. Gen. 2/10/03, New York Daily News 2/11/03]

ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Convicted Violent Union Boss Steps up to IL Labor Secy.
A Rockford-area union boss convicted of slashing the tires of a non-union truck outside a Wal-Mart is IL Gov. Rod Blagojevichs choice to run the states Labor Dept.

In 1997, Michael Fenger, the Bus. Mgr. of Intl. Bhd. Of Elec. Wrkrs. Local 364 was attending a union protest of non-union workers building the store. Several militants surrounded the truck of a non-union worker as he tried to leave the site. With the truck stopped, two police officers saw Fenger use a five-in. awl to puncture all four tires. Sterling police were videotaping the protest and recorded him puncturing at least one of them.

Fenger was charged with felony criminal damage to property and two misdemeanor charges of property damage and reckless conduct. In a plea agreement, Fenger pled guilty to the misdemeanor charges, and was fined $1,500. Last year, he succeeded in getting the case expunged from the record, but disclosed the incident to Blagojevich aides before his appointment.

Fenger denied any involvement in the tire-slashing, and claimed to have pled "no contest." But Whiteside County States Attny. Gary Spencer, who prosecuted Fenger, said that no such plea exists in IL law. [Chicago Tribune 2/13/03]
 
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ADDITIONAL BRIEFS NOT INCLUDED ON THE FAX EDITION OF THIS UNION CORRUPTION UPDATE:

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PRODUCTION WORKERS
DOL Sues NY Local for Engaging in Prohibited Transactions
The U.S. Dept. of Labor alleged multiple violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) by officials of the Production Workers Union Local 148 welfare and pension plans, in a complaint filed on January 17 in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for NJ, in Newark. Named as defendants were Joseph Nardone, Jr., the current plan administrator, who, in 1998, was removed from his position as the locals president, and Ralph Somma, president of Brueton Industries, a contributing employer to the plans and the current employer-trustee. "This action demonstrates our commitment to protect the hard-earned benefits of American workers," said Francis Clisham, director of the depts. New York Office of the Employee Benefits Security Admin. (EBSA), which investigated the case.

According to the DOL, the two defendants used welfare plan funds to buy property near the funds offices for $300,000, to be used as a parking lot, on the same day that the seller purchased the property for $125,000. The dept's. complaint also alleged that the defendants caused the welfare plan to pay benefits for Sylvia Nardone even though she was not eligible to receive benefits; the defendants caused the plans to improperly pay for Nardone, Jr's. attorney representing him in the Local 148 trusteeship litigation; the defendants caused the welfare plan to pay the salary plus expenses for former Local 911 president Edward Bigham, Jr., even though he did not perform commensurate services for the plan, and that Nardone Jr. caused the welfare fund to pay for expenses incurred by the pension plan providing benefits to employees of the union and the plans from February 1996 through July 1999.

The dept. is seeking to restore to the plans all losses, permanently bar the defendants from serving any ERISA-covered plans, and remove Sylvia Nardone as an eligible welfare plan benefit recipient. The membership of Local 148 includes of a variety of factory workers in the five boroughs of New York, New Jersey and Long Island. [EBSA 2/4/03]

TEACHERS (AFT)
First Guilty Plea in D.C. Teacher Union Scandal
The personal driver for ex-Wash. Tchrs Union (WTU) president Barbara Bullock pled guilty to money laundering on Feb. 6, and agreed to cooperate in the fed. investigation of the multi-million dollar embezzlement scandal. Under the plea agreement, Leroy Holmes "will cooperate fully, candidly and truthfully," said his attny., Lou Martucci, as they stood before U.S. Dist. Judge Richard J. Leon (D.C., G.W. Bush).

Holmes confessed that between 1997 and 2002, he cashed over $1 million in WTU checks, then distributed the cash to Bullock, her then-exec. Asst., Gwendolyn Hemphill, and ex-treasurer James Baxter. By cooperating with the investigation of the three WTU officials, Holmes will not be prosecuted for failing to report much of his income from the union, and will likely serve much less than the 20 years in prison he could have faced for the crime to which he admitted.

Meanwhile, officials of the Amer. Fedtn. of Tchrs (AFT) now running their D.C. affiliate, are considering whether to continue employing another local official for failing to alert the AFT about the forgery of her signature on a check. Esther Hankerson was general vice president of the WTU when, in 1997, was informed by the union's bank that her signature had been forged on a check payable to Bullock. Hankerson allowed the check to be cashed, and despite Bullock's confirmation that she had signed it, she did not report the incident to either WTU Exec. Bd. or the AFT. [Washington Times 2/7/03, Washington Post 2/12/03]

ELEVATOR CONSTRUCTORS (IUEC)
More Sentences Announced in Multi-Million Dollar Racketeering Scheme in NYC
The U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards announced the following sentences in the $6 million racketeering case against 26 bosses and members of the Intl Union of Elevator Constructors Local One. These members allowed their names to be used for "no-show" jobs extorted from contractors in exchange for "labor peace."  All four were indicted on February 5, 2002 for conspiracy, false pension statements, money laundering conspiracy, money laundering, and unlawful labor payments following a joint investigation by the New York branch of the OLMS, the U.S. Dept. of Labor's Pension and Welfare Benefits Admin., the FBI, and the IRS. They all pled guilty on Oct. 10, 2002, and were all sentenced on Jan. 16 in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the E. Dist. of NY.

Raymond Costello was sentenced to spend three years on probation and perform 400 hours of community service. Costello was ordered to pay $15,209 in restitution, which will be held by the Court Clerk until his victim, Turner Construction, submits an affidavit of loss to the court. Costello was also given the maximum fine of $5,000 and ordered to pay a $100 assessment.

Michael Coady was sentenced to spend three years on probation and perform 400 hours of community service. Coady was ordered to pay $32,796.96 in restitution, which will be held by the Court Clerk until his victim, a contractor named Morse Diesel, submits an affidavit of loss to the Court. Coady was also fined $500, ordered to pay $600 each month until restitution is completely paid, and ordered to pay a $100 assessment to the Court.

Frank Walker was sentenced to spend three years on probation and perform 400 hours of community service. Walker was ordered to pay $7,338.50 in restitution, which will be held by the Court Clerk until his victim, a contractor named Constructive Industries, submits an affidavit of loss to the Court. Walker was also given the maximum fine of $5,000 and ordered to pay a $100 assessment to the Court.

Steve Schmidt, a member of Elevator Constructors Local One, was sentenced to spend three years on probation and perform 400 hours of community service. Schmidt was ordered to pay $36,000 in restitution, which will be held by the Court Clerk until his victim, a contractor named HRH Construction, submits an affidavit of loss to the Court. Schmidt was also fined $500, ordered to pay $600 each month until restitution is completely paid, and ordered to pay a $100 assessment to the Court. [OLMS 2/3/03]

POLICE UNIONS
Calif. Bookkeeper Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement
Tamara Sanchez pled guilty on Feb. 13 to stealing $106,000 from the Assn. of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs. She was sentenced to five months probation as part of a plea bargain with Orange County Superior Court Judge Ronald Kreber that included no jail time if she repaid the money. Judge Kreber also fined Sanchez $10,000 and ordered her to perform 1,000 hrs. of community service.

Sanchez's attny., David Smith, said that Sanchez, mother of a 5-yr.-old child, "had to go through a lot" to find people in the community who would help her repay the stolen funds. But Deputy Dist. Attny. Rick Welch pointed out that Sanchez "essentially used the associations checking account as her own and spent the money on womens clothingÖthat amount of money should have included some jail time."

Between Feb. 2001 and last Nov., Sanchez used her bookkeeping job at the union to misuse the signature stamp for the assn. president and modify about 80 checks to her personal benefit. The wife of a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy, Sanchez was arrested on Nov. 19 and fired from her job shortly afterward. [City News Service 2/13/03]

ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Ex-IL Teamsters Treasurer Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement in Fed. Ct.
Stephen E. Morris pled guilty on Feb. 7 to embezzling from the union he served as Treasurer for nine years. According to the Plea Agreement and Stipulation of Facts, Morris stole the funds from Local 109 of the Intl. Bhd. Of Elec. Wrkrs in Moline from April 2000 through Oct. 2001. He made unauthorized cash withdrawls of $20,463, unauthorized check withdrawls of $51,881, overstated expenses of $1,933, check amounts raised above what was approved of $4,699, and cash back from deposits of $8,066.

That adds up to $87,043. But the Stipulation reports the total amount stolen to be between that figure and $72,344. Since Morris will be required to make restitution, the amount stolen will likely be determined by Chief U.S. Dist. Judge Joe B. McDade (Cent. Dist., IL, G.H.W. Bush) at Morriss sentencing hearing on June 6.

Ex-Ohio Office Secy. Indicted for Embezzlement, Bank Fraud
On February 5, 2003, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the Sou. Dist. of Ohio, a grand jury returned a two count indictment against Debra Dougherty, former office secretary of Intl. Bhd. of Electrical Wrkrs. Local 648. The indictment charges Dougherty with one count of embezzlement of $41,829.95 in union funds and one count of bank fraud in the amount of $7,030.40. The charges were brought following an investigation by the Cincinnati branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/13/03]

Illinois Treasurer will plead Guilty to Embezzlement
On January 24, 2003, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Anthony King, former treasurer of International Bhd. of Electrical Workers Local 533, was charged with embezzling $14,450 in union funds. An agreement has been reached in which King indicates he will plead guilty at a hearing scheduled on February 13. The charge was brought following a joint investigation by the Chicago branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. [OLMS 2/13/03]

TEAMSTERS (IBT)
Boston Electronics Owner Convicted of Helping Teamsters Boss in Theft Ring
A federal jury found Tufts Electronics owner Bruce Ziskind guilty of conspiracy and theft on Feb. 12 for his part in a theft ring run with frmr. Teamster Local 25 boss John "Mick" Murray. Starting in 1995, Ziskind would pick out semi-conductors and video cards from UPS shipments to his store. Murray and other teamsters working for UPS would then steal the equipment and receive payments for their assistance. But in 1997, Daniel Gilday stole a package with an FBI tracking device, was arrested and went to prison. For immunity from other charges in the conspiracy, Gilday testified against Ziskind, who argued that the statute of limitations had run out on his crime. [Boston Herald 1/29/03, Boston Globe 2/13/03, Boston Herald 2/13/03]

POSTAL WORKERS (APWU)
Ex-La. Treasurer Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement
Norma J. Reedy pled guilty in mid-Feb. to embezzling $29,882 from the Amer. Postal Wrkrs. State Assn. (APWSA) in Shreveport from Aug. 1999 until Jan. 22, 2001. Instead of paying the APWSA's bills, she cashed more than 40 checks for her personal benefit without authorization. After an investigation by the New Orleans branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards, Reedy admitted taking the money on Sept. 23, 2002. She has promised to make full restitution. She entered her plea before Sr. U.S. Dist. Judge Thomas E. Stagg, Jr. (West. Dist. La., Nixon), and will be sentenced on May 8. [U.S.A.O. W.D. LA 2/7/03]

LONGSHOREMEN (ILA)
Indicted Union Bosses Still Working NJ Piers
They may stand indicted for extortion of their unions members and working with the Genovese crime family. But Nicholas Furina, Ralph Esposito, and John Timpanaro. But today, all three are still working the ports of the NY-NJ area.

All three, officials of Local 1588 of the Intl. Longshoremens Assn. (ILA), were indicted last May by a NJ grand jury for allegedly threatening to withhold jobs if members refused to pay for them, and accepting bribes for assignments and promotions. The bi-state Waterfront Commission of NY initially suspended the licenses of all three to work at the ports. But NJ law requires the commission to either grant an appeal hearing within 60 days or drop the suspension. Lawyers for the three demanded a hearing, and the commission chose not to hold hearings in which "we might have to rely on evidence that comes out in a criminal trial," acc. to commission secy. David B. Greenfield.

Former NYC Police Commissioner Robert McGuire is taking over as trustee of the Local, which acc. to U.S. Attny. James B. Comey, has been "a cesspool of union corruption" that "for decades...has offered a hospitable environment for mobsters." [Jersey Journal 2/11/03]

LABORERS (LIUNA)
Des Moines Laborers Member Sentenced for Helping to Embezzle Funds
On January 14, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa, Clyde Starkey, former member of Laborers Local 177 in Des Moines, pled guilty to conspiracy to embezzle union funds. Starkey was indicted on November 19, 2002, for cashing $28,905 in union checks payable to the fictitious Starkey Construction Company and then splitting the proceeds with the Local 177 business manager. The investigation was conducted by the St. Louis branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/3/03]

CARPENTERS (UBC)
Fla. Union Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On Jan. 28, 2003, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the N. Dist. of Fla., Geoffrey R. Barron, ex-bus. mgr./financial secy.-treasurer of Carpenters Local 2471, was sentenced to five years probation, ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $35,855, and ordered to pay a special court assessment of $100.00. On October 29, 2002, Barron pled guilty to embezzling $29,855.26 in union funds following an investigation by the Atlanta branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/13/03]

ASBESTOS WORKERS (HFIA)
Ex-Bus. Mgr. Sentenced in Texas Fed. Court
On Jan. 31, 2003, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the West. Dist. of Texas, Michael Van Bibber, former business manager of Int'l Assn. of Heat & Frost Insulators & Asbestos Workers Local 87, was sentenced to ten months confinement, 36 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $30,260. Van Bibber pled guilty to embezzling union funds on August 9, 2002, following an investigation by the New Orleans branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/13/03]

STEELWORKERS
Penn. Financial Secy. Sentenced for Embezzlement
On Jan. 23, 2003, in the U.S. Dist. Ct. for the Middle Dist. of Penn., James Hubler, frmr. financial secretary of Steelworkers Local 14375, pled guilty to embezzling $27,226 in union funds following an investigation by the Philadelphia branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/3/03]

GOVERNMENT WORKERS (AFGE)
DC Treasurer Sentenced for Theft
On January 31, 2003, in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Blanche Williams, former treasurer of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 421, was sentenced to five years supervised probation and ordered to pay both full restitution in the amount of $7,193 and a mandatory fine of $100. Williams pled guilty to both fraud and theft on November 15, 2002, following an investigation by the Washington branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/5/03]

PAINTERS (IBPAT)
Indiana Secy. Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement
On January 24, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, William Brooks, former recording secretary of Intl. Bhd. of Painters & Allied Trades Local 8 of Lake Station, Indiana, pled guilty to embezzling $13,755.15 in union funds. Brooks was indicted on November 15, 2001 following an investigation by the Chicago branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/5/03]

TRANSPORTATION-COMMUNICATION UNION (TCIU)
Ex-President Sentenced for Attempted Embezzlement
On January 9, 2003, in West Virginia District Court in Wayne County, Dwight D. Icenhower, former president, general chairman, and financial secretary-treasurer of the Transportation Communications Union, District Lodge 6455, was sentenced to pay a fine plus court costs for attempted embezzlement. Icenhower pled guilty to a misdemeanor attempt to commit an embezzlement of $3,953.44 in union funds following an investigation by the Pittsburgh branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/13/03]

HOTEL & RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES (HERE)
Ex-Bus. Mgr. Pleads Guilty to Union Theft in Local Iowa Court
On January 22, 2003, in the Sixth District Court of Iowa, Carl Roush, former business manager of Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees Local 497 in Cedar Rapids, pled guilty to felony theft. The Linn County Iowa Prosecuting Attorney charged Roush with the theft of $2,691 in union funds on April 12, 2002, following an investigation by the St. Louis branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/3/03]

GOVERNMENT WORKERS (AFSCME)
Ohio Treasurer Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement
On January 22, 2003, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Jeffrey L. Williams, former treasurer of Chapter 6555, Local 11 of the Amer. Fedtn. Of State, County & Municipal Employees, pled guilty to embezzling $3,312.65 in union funds. The charges were brought following an investigation by the Cleveland branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/3/03]

MAINTENANACE OF WAY (BMWE)
Frmr. Miss. Delegate Pleads Guilty to Falsification
On January 22, 2003, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi, Willie Corbett, former delegate of Lodge 616 of the Bhd. of Maintenance of Way Employees in Union, Mississippi, pled guilty to falsifying union records. Corbett was indicted on September 25, 2002 following an investigation by the New Orleans branch of the U.S. Ofc. of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS 2/13/03]

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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