Eleven years of federal court supervision of United Union of Roofers Local 30 in Philadelphia ended Sep. 27 with an order from U.S. Dist. Judge Louis C. Bechtle. Bechtle granted the union’s request to vacate a decreeship order imposed by the court May 23, 1988, but left in place paragraph 7 of the 1988 order, which bars 15 former boss from any further role in the local’s activities.
The court imposed supervision following a criminal investigation that resulted in the union’s former business manager being sentenced to 15 years in prison and eight other local bosses being incarcerated. The concurrent political scandal resulted in 14 Philadelphia judges, a Dep’t of Labor official, and 35 other city and state officials being charged with RICO violations. The Dep’t of Justice initially asked for a trusteeship over the union, then known as Roofers Local 30-30B, “to prevent the union from being managed as a racketeering enterprise in the future.”
Local 30 has collected approximately $600,000 in past due benefit contributions from employers, has hired a collection agent to pursue other contribution arrearages, and has a certified public accountant to audit contractual benefit obligations, the court-monitor’s final report said. [BNA 10/14/99]