With a 2nd indictment against Ed Schreier for pension fund embezzlement, local members are beginning to speak out against the head of Machinery Movers, Riggers & Erectors Local 136, affiliated with the Intl. Assn. of Iron Wrkrs. Misuse of the union’s benefit funds — esp. its health fund — by its hierarchy has been rampant in recent yrs., acc. to several members. Tom Campagna, a frmr. member of 136, said that union officials once refused to extend the health coverage of a rigger whose daughter was dying of cancer and desperately needed treatment. Campagna was the girl’s uncle. On the other hand, union officials readily approved payment for a union official’s penis implant.
Schreier and Local 498 Bus. Mgr. Thomas Kisting were indicted in Jan. for accepting Harley-Davidson motorcycles from Michael Linder, pres. of Joseph/Anthony & Assoc. In exchange for the motorcycles, the 2 union officials allegedly steered contracts paid for by their union’s pension plans to Linder’s company. The new indictment accuses Schreier and Linder of embezzling $18,000 from Local 136’s pension funds.
Linder once owned a forklift rental business with Schreier’s 2nd wife. Schreier’s 1st wife is a neice of the deceased mob chief Anthony Accardo. Their son, Ed, is the vice-pres. of Local 136, and is likely to take over as head of the union if his father is convicted. [Chic. Sun-Times, 6/30/04]