A canvassing cmte. of the Chic. Tchrs. Union declared null and void the June 11 election in which special ed. tchr. Marilyn Stewart beat incumbent Deborah Lynch by 560 votes. The cmte. acted after receiving a report from the Amer. Arbitration Assn. CTU attny. Mildred Haggerty identified 3 problems with the balloting. More than 600 fewer ballots were returned by voting tchrs. than were sent out. More than 180 tchrs. at 95 schools, absent the day of the election, were recorded as voting. And about 25 signatures on ballots didn’t match signatures from an earlier election. The rerun election probably won’t be able to done until tchrs. return to school this Fall. And Stewart has already fired 13 officials who served under Lynch. [Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune, 6/30/04]
Ex-Fin. Secy. Charged in Ohio Fed. Court
On June 23, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Michael G. Kmit, former financial secretary of United Autoworkers Local 2562, was charged with embezzling $10,953.50 in union funds. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office. [Ofc. of Labor Mgmt. Standards, 6/30/04]
Frmr. Fin. Secy. Indicted in Indiana Fed. Court
On May 26, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, Sandra Linder, former financial secretary for Auto Workers Local 1317, was indicted on one count of embezzling more than $10,000 in union funds. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office [Ofc. of Labor Mgmt. Standards, 6/22/04]
Ex-Fin. Secy. Admits Embezzlement in Indiana Fed. Court
On May 21, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, Jerome M. Smith, former financial secretary of Auto Workers Local 933, pled guilty to a one count information charging him with embezzling $30,000 in union funds. On the same date, Smith was sentenced to six months home detention, three years probation, and 100 hours of community service. He was also ordered to make full restitution to the union. The guilty plea and sentencing follow an investigation by the OLMS Cincinnati District Office. [Ofc. of Labor Mgmt. Standards, 6/22/04]
Frmr. Secy.-Treasurer Sentenced in Ore. Fed. Court
On June 22, 2004, in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon, Gerhard Hubbard, former secretary-treasurer of Roofers Local 156, was sentenced to five years of supervised probation for embezzlement and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $18,002. On April 2, 2004, Hubbard pled guilty to a one count information charging him with embezzling from the local’s vacation fund. The guilty plea and sentence follow an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office. [Ofc. of Labor Mgmt. Standards, 6/30/04]
Ex-Secy.-Treasurer Returns $149,000 to NY Union
On June 22, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Daniel F. Kearney, former secretary-treasurer of Laborers Local 79, pled guilty to embezzling union funds. Also, he admitted to forging the signature of another officer on union checks and filing false and misleading Form LM-2 reports. Kearney has made full restitution in the amount of $149,330.12. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office. [Ofc. of Labor Mgmt. Standards, 6/30/04]