Delta Labor Relations thread.
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townpete
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7) Maryland LIUNA business manager, two others charged in $1.7 million ripoff.
The Laborers International Union of North America has had its share of corruption among its local affiliates in recent years, but arguably none this brazen. Three men in suburban Maryland near Washington, D.C., the business manager of Laborers Local 657 and two co-owners of a building contractor, were indicted by a federal grand jury in October for theft, fraud, money laundering and bribe-taking related to the disappearance of more than $1.7 million in union funds. Much of the take allegedly went toward a home, a three-car garage, a corporation owned by the business manager’s wife, and – if it can be believed – a campaign to establish political parties in the Arab state of Qatar.
The Laborers International Union of North America has had its share of corruption among its local affiliates in recent years, but arguably none this brazen. Three men in suburban Maryland near Washington, D.C., the business manager of Laborers Local 657 and two co-owners of a building contractor, were indicted by a federal grand jury in October for theft, fraud, money laundering and bribe-taking related to the disappearance of more than $1.7 million in union funds. Much of the take allegedly went toward a home, a three-car garage, a corporation owned by the business manager’s wife, and – if it can be believed – a campaign to establish political parties in the Arab state of Qatar.
townpete
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6) Wisconsin passes Right to Work law.
It’s hard to imagine an elected official anywhere in the country taking more heat from organized labor during this decade than Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker. And somehow he’s managed to prevail. The protracted union campaign by public-sector unions to block and then overturn a new state law curbing collective bargaining and benefits appears to be exhausted, as their campaign to recall the governor fell short. Last March, something even more improbable happened: The legislature, at the urging of Walker,enacted a Right to Work law, making Wisconsin the 25th state in the nation to have done so. No longer can private-sector unions in Wisconsin force employees at unionized work sites to pay dues as a prerequisite for staying employed. Walker’s presidential campaign was short-lived. But his commitment to protect individual worker freedom will be a lasting legacy. And workers, if a Heritage Foundation report released last year is any guide, are unlikely to see a drop in their incomes.
It’s hard to imagine an elected official anywhere in the country taking more heat from organized labor during this decade than Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker. And somehow he’s managed to prevail. The protracted union campaign by public-sector unions to block and then overturn a new state law curbing collective bargaining and benefits appears to be exhausted, as their campaign to recall the governor fell short. Last March, something even more improbable happened: The legislature, at the urging of Walker,enacted a Right to Work law, making Wisconsin the 25th state in the nation to have done so. No longer can private-sector unions in Wisconsin force employees at unionized work sites to pay dues as a prerequisite for staying employed. Walker’s presidential campaign was short-lived. But his commitment to protect individual worker freedom will be a lasting legacy. And workers, if a Heritage Foundation report released last year is any guide, are unlikely to see a drop in their incomes.
townpete
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5) National Labor Relations Board advances union interests.
The Obama-era National Labor Relations Board once again has been the gift (to unions) that keeps on giving. In August, the NLRB ruled that a union could force a parent company, and not just a subsidiary, to the bargaining table even if the parent company has nothing to do with establishing wages, benefits or working conditions. This “joint employer” ruling, which involved a Teamsters local seeking representation at a California recycling plant, gives unions far more negotiating leverage. In addition, the NLRB in December 2014 issued its final “ambush election” rule, which went into effect this past April. This move enables to unions to put representation elections campaigns on a very fast track, giving employers far less time to respond and dissenting employees far less time to hear both sides of the issue. And while the NLRB, sensibly, ruled against granting collective bargaining standing to Northwestern University football players this past August, it did so on the merits of the case, not on the larger principle of whether college athletes should be considered employees.
The Obama-era National Labor Relations Board once again has been the gift (to unions) that keeps on giving. In August, the NLRB ruled that a union could force a parent company, and not just a subsidiary, to the bargaining table even if the parent company has nothing to do with establishing wages, benefits or working conditions. This “joint employer” ruling, which involved a Teamsters local seeking representation at a California recycling plant, gives unions far more negotiating leverage. In addition, the NLRB in December 2014 issued its final “ambush election” rule, which went into effect this past April. This move enables to unions to put representation elections campaigns on a very fast track, giving employers far less time to respond and dissenting employees far less time to hear both sides of the issue. And while the NLRB, sensibly, ruled against granting collective bargaining standing to Northwestern University football players this past August, it did so on the merits of the case, not on the larger principle of whether college athletes should be considered employees.
townpete
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4) Teamsters and the Justice Department reach agreement to lift federal oversight.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has been operating under strict federal monitoring since the 1989 settlement of a civil RICO suit. There was a good reason for the arrangement: The Teamsters long had been a Mafia profit center all but in name. Last January, after years of persuasion by current IBT President James P. Hoffa and other leaders of the roughly 1.4 million-member union, the DOJ announced it would phase out control by the court-approved monitor, the Independent Review Board. The move may provoke ambivalence. On one hand, running the IRB cost taxpayers a few million dollars a year. The era of Mafia domination is long over. And the federal government ideally shouldn’t be running a union. Yet the Teamsters still know how to hide their dirty laundry. A supervised phase-out plan seems a reasonable compromise.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has been operating under strict federal monitoring since the 1989 settlement of a civil RICO suit. There was a good reason for the arrangement: The Teamsters long had been a Mafia profit center all but in name. Last January, after years of persuasion by current IBT President James P. Hoffa and other leaders of the roughly 1.4 million-member union, the DOJ announced it would phase out control by the court-approved monitor, the Independent Review Board. The move may provoke ambivalence. On one hand, running the IRB cost taxpayers a few million dollars a year. The era of Mafia domination is long over. And the federal government ideally shouldn’t be running a union. Yet the Teamsters still know how to hide their dirty laundry. A supervised phase-out plan seems a reasonable compromise.
townpete
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3) Corrupt Chicago-area Teamster fiefdom exposed.
John Coli Sr. and extended family members are among of the most powerful, and unaccountable, figures in American organized labor. This July, they received some unwanted publicity when a Cook County, Ill. judge ruled that patriarch Coli and Teamsters Local 700, of which he is a trustee, were jointly liable for $2.3 million for abruptly breaking a building lease. The decision gave a boost to already ongoing scrutiny in this family’s style of doing business. Though well-compensated, the Colis are no strangers to self-dealing. That they usually have prevailed has a lot to do with their close connections with Teamster International President James P. Hoffa, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and a succession of Illinois governors. John Coli Jr., a lawyer, has continued the tradition, collecting outsized fees from a front for the family-controlled Teamsters Local 727.
John Coli Sr. and extended family members are among of the most powerful, and unaccountable, figures in American organized labor. This July, they received some unwanted publicity when a Cook County, Ill. judge ruled that patriarch Coli and Teamsters Local 700, of which he is a trustee, were jointly liable for $2.3 million for abruptly breaking a building lease. The decision gave a boost to already ongoing scrutiny in this family’s style of doing business. Though well-compensated, the Colis are no strangers to self-dealing. That they usually have prevailed has a lot to do with their close connections with Teamster International President James P. Hoffa, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, and a succession of Illinois governors. John Coli Jr., a lawyer, has continued the tradition, collecting outsized fees from a front for the family-controlled Teamsters Local 727.
Kev3188
Veteran
Oh we're playing "I know a guy?"
Fun!
Using TownPete's logic, all cops are corrupt, and therefore we should never trust them...
Fun!
Using TownPete's logic, all cops are corrupt, and therefore we should never trust them...
townpete
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2) U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear Friedrichs complaint.
For almost four decades, unions have had the legal authority to force public employees to join or (in lieu of joining) pay “agency fees” that can run almost as high as full member dues. Supreme Court rulings over the years have enabled union dissenters to apply for rebates on fees deducted by their union for non-core functions, but have stopped short of declaring the deductions themselves to be unconstitutional. That could change soon. Last June, the High Court agreed to review a case brought forward by several California public school employees, led by an Orange County teacher, Rebecca Friedrichs. The plaintiffs are challenging the California Teachers Association’s authority to exact tribute from non-joiners, a suit that previously had been dismissed by the lower courts. The CTA, aided by other public-employee unions, is going all out to defeat this challenge. A victory for Friedrichs and other dissenters would be a resounding victory for the general public and for the Right to Work principle.
For almost four decades, unions have had the legal authority to force public employees to join or (in lieu of joining) pay “agency fees” that can run almost as high as full member dues. Supreme Court rulings over the years have enabled union dissenters to apply for rebates on fees deducted by their union for non-core functions, but have stopped short of declaring the deductions themselves to be unconstitutional. That could change soon. Last June, the High Court agreed to review a case brought forward by several California public school employees, led by an Orange County teacher, Rebecca Friedrichs. The plaintiffs are challenging the California Teachers Association’s authority to exact tribute from non-joiners, a suit that previously had been dismissed by the lower courts. The CTA, aided by other public-employee unions, is going all out to defeat this challenge. A victory for Friedrichs and other dissenters would be a resounding victory for the general public and for the Right to Work principle.
townpete
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1) Union pension plans face insolvency.
It is no secret that many union-driven retirement plans are severely underfunded. But the situation became a good deal more pronounced last year. Last September the Teamsters’ Central States Pension Fund, which enrolls over 400,000 active and retired workers, filed a restructuring request with the Treasury Department to cut benefits by almost 25 percent. In absence of such a measure, say trustees, the multiemployer-funded Central States plan is likely to go bankrupt, leaving beneficiaries dependent upon federal insurance in the form of Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. The problem is that such a transfer of responsibility could trigger a multibillion dollar bailout of PBGC itself. In the union-dominated public sector, especially inIllinois and New Jersey, the problem also has become dire. In New Jersey, at least, the state Supreme Court in June allowed Republican Governor Chris Christie to delay two years of contributions worth $2.5 billion to the state system. Public-employee unions, true to form, have stepped up opposition.
It is no secret that many union-driven retirement plans are severely underfunded. But the situation became a good deal more pronounced last year. Last September the Teamsters’ Central States Pension Fund, which enrolls over 400,000 active and retired workers, filed a restructuring request with the Treasury Department to cut benefits by almost 25 percent. In absence of such a measure, say trustees, the multiemployer-funded Central States plan is likely to go bankrupt, leaving beneficiaries dependent upon federal insurance in the form of Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. The problem is that such a transfer of responsibility could trigger a multibillion dollar bailout of PBGC itself. In the union-dominated public sector, especially inIllinois and New Jersey, the problem also has become dire. In New Jersey, at least, the state Supreme Court in June allowed Republican Governor Chris Christie to delay two years of contributions worth $2.5 billion to the state system. Public-employee unions, true to form, have stepped up opposition.
Kev3188
Veteran
BTW, Le Bron James is in a union...
Just sayin'...
Just sayin'...
townpete
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IAM CORRUPTION AND FEDERAL CONVICTIONS FOR STEALING MEMBERS FUNDS
IAM is regarded as one of the most corrupted unions in the country! Here in California and around the nation, IAM officials have been indicted, tried and convicted. Below are just a mere example of a few cases. There are far more convictions and federal indictments.
Guilty! On September 3, 2013, in the United States District Court, Bonnie Nixon, former Secretary Treasurer of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) Local Lodge W443, was sentenced to three years of probation, including six months of home confinement, for embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). Nixon was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $16,368.
Guilty! On February 20, 2013, in the United States District Court, Robert Stephenson, former Secretary Treasurer of Machinists Local 2903, was sentenced to one year of supervised probation including six months of home confinement and was ordered to pay a $3,000 fine. On November 13, 2012, Stephenson pled guilty to one count of filing false reports, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(, by failing to disclose over $18,000 of union funds that he disbursed for his personal use.
Guilty! On December 17, 2012, in the United States District Court, Mark Morgan, former Secretary-Treasurer of Machinists Lodge 2584, was sentenced to three years of probation including eight months of home detention with electronic monitoring. Morgan was also ordered to pay $17,616.70 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. On August 20, 2012, Morgan pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501©.
Guilty! On October 12, 2012, in the United States District Court, former office secretary, Rachel Lanham for Machinists District Lodge 34, was sentenced to six months of home confinement followed by three years of supervised release. Lanham was also ordered to make full restitution in the amount of $104,867.45 and pay a $100 special assessment. On June 30, 2012, Lanham pled guilty to one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501©.
Guilty! On September 20, 2012, in the United States District Court, Renita Dompier, former Secretary-Treasurer of Machinists Local Lodge 283, was sentenced to one year of probation including six months of home detention with electronic monitoring. Dompier was also ordered to pay $11,793.89 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. Dompier pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $8,725.99, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501©.
Guilty! On September 20, 2012, in the United States District Court, Jeff Agee, former business representative for Machinists Lodge 10, was sentenced to 180 days of home confinement, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine and a $100 special assessment. Agee had previously paid full restitution of $26,139.13. On May 10, 2012, Agee pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501©.
Guilty! On January 23, 2012, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, Tracy Ford, former Secretary-Treasurer of Machinists Lodge 1528 (located in Modesto, Calif.), was sentenced to five years of probation which includes 10 months of home detention with electronic monitoring (with the exception of work). Ford was ordered to pay $174,100 in restitution and a $125 special assessment. On September 2, 2011, Ford pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and one count of 29 U.S.C. 439(.
Guilty! On December 9, 2011, in the United States District Court, Stephen Koski, former Secretary-Treasurer of Machinists Lodge 1027, was sentenced to one year probation and was ordered to pay a $500 fine for embezzling union funds. On the day of sentencing, Koskipaid full restitution of $1,517.04.
Guilty! On November 3, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, Hugo Vargas, former Secretary Treasurer of International Association of Machinists (IAM) Lodge 845, was sentenced to 13 months in prison followed by three years supervised release, and he was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $106,293.59 and an assessment fee of $100. On August 2, 2010, Vargas pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office.
Do I hear "Sympathy for the devil" in the background?townpete said:
IAM CORRUPTION AND FEDERAL CONVICTIONS FOR STEALING MEMBERS FUNDS
IAM is regarded as one of the most corrupted unions in the country! Here in California and around the nation, IAM officials have been indicted, tried and convicted. Below are just a mere example of a few cases. There are far more convictions and federal indictments.
Guilty! On September 3, 2013, in the United States District Court, Bonnie Nixon, former Secretary Treasurer of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) Local Lodge W443, was sentenced to three years of probation, including six months of home confinement, for embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c). Nixon was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $16,368.
Guilty! On February 20, 2013, in the United States District Court, Robert Stephenson, former Secretary Treasurer of Machinists Local 2903, was sentenced to one year of supervised probation including six months of home confinement and was ordered to pay a $3,000 fine. On November 13, 2012, Stephenson pled guilty to one count of filing false reports, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 439(, by failing to disclose over $18,000 of union funds that he disbursed for his personal use.
Guilty! On December 17, 2012, in the United States District Court, Mark Morgan, former Secretary-Treasurer of Machinists Lodge 2584, was sentenced to three years of probation including eight months of home detention with electronic monitoring. Morgan was also ordered to pay $17,616.70 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. On August 20, 2012, Morgan pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501©.
Guilty! On October 12, 2012, in the United States District Court, former office secretary, Rachel Lanham for Machinists District Lodge 34, was sentenced to six months of home confinement followed by three years of supervised release. Lanham was also ordered to make full restitution in the amount of $104,867.45 and pay a $100 special assessment. On June 30, 2012, Lanham pled guilty to one count of embezzlement, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501©.
Guilty! On September 20, 2012, in the United States District Court, Renita Dompier, former Secretary-Treasurer of Machinists Local Lodge 283, was sentenced to one year of probation including six months of home detention with electronic monitoring. Dompier was also ordered to pay $11,793.89 in restitution and a $100 special assessment. Dompier pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $8,725.99, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501©.
Guilty! On September 20, 2012, in the United States District Court, Jeff Agee, former business representative for Machinists Lodge 10, was sentenced to 180 days of home confinement, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine and a $100 special assessment. Agee had previously paid full restitution of $26,139.13. On May 10, 2012, Agee pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501©.
Guilty! On January 23, 2012, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, Tracy Ford, former Secretary-Treasurer of Machinists Lodge 1528 (located in Modesto, Calif.), was sentenced to five years of probation which includes 10 months of home detention with electronic monitoring (with the exception of work). Ford was ordered to pay $174,100 in restitution and a $125 special assessment. On September 2, 2011, Ford pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds, in violation of 29 U.S.C. 501(c) and one count of 29 U.S.C. 439(.
Guilty! On December 9, 2011, in the United States District Court, Stephen Koski, former Secretary-Treasurer of Machinists Lodge 1027, was sentenced to one year probation and was ordered to pay a $500 fine for embezzling union funds. On the day of sentencing, Koskipaid full restitution of $1,517.04.
Guilty! On November 3, 2010, in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada, Hugo Vargas, former Secretary Treasurer of International Association of Machinists (IAM) Lodge 845, was sentenced to 13 months in prison followed by three years supervised release, and he was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $106,293.59 and an assessment fee of $100. On August 2, 2010, Vargas pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office.
