On March 23, in the U.S. District Court for Minnesota, Dana Lockwood, former treasurer of Local 49, the Intl. Assn. of Heat & Frost Insulators & Asbestos Workers, pled guilty to a one-count information charging him with embezzling $64,255 in union funds. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office of the U.S. Office of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS, 4/4/05]
Ga. Union Ordered to Conduct New Election
On March 4, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia, Local 527 of the Graphic Communications Intl. Union, was ordered to conduct a new election within 120 days under the Secretary of Labor’s supervision. On February 3 of this year, the Court had previously granted the Department of Labor’s motion for Summary Judgment. The Local, however, responded by filing a Motion to Alter or Amend Judgment and a Motion to Stay Enforcement of the Judgment, which the Court rejected in its Order of March 4, 2005.
The Court ruled that the Local’s election on December 8, 2002, violated Title IV of the Labor Mgmt. Reporting & Disclosure Act, because the Local denied members the right to vote secret ballots, failed to provide reasonable opportunity to nominate, and failed to mail election notices to the membership. The complaint followed an investigation by the Atlanta District Office of the U.S. Office of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS, 4/5/2005]
Fla. Union Agrees to New Election
On November 22, 2004, Florida Council 79 of the Amer. Fedtn. of State, County & Municipal Employees, entered into an agreement to conduct new nominations and a new election. The re-opened positions are for three trustees, conference board vice president for colleges and universities, one executive board position, and all Council 79 convention delegates. The elections will be held under supervision by the Ofc. of Labor Mgmt. Standards no later than April 30 this year. An investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office established that delegates from 21 local unions were improperly selected when they were either: not elected by the membership, not elected by secret ballot, or not elected after proper notice to members. [OLMS, 4/5/05]
Frmr. Fin. Secy. Sentenced in Ala. Fed. Court
On March 23, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama, Otis Johnson, Jr., former financial secretary of Local 9-9361-S, United Steel Workers, was sentenced to five years supervised probation and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $9,638. He pled guilty to embezzlement on December 15, 2004, following an investigation by the Nashville District Office of the U.S. Office of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS, 4/4/05]
Ex-Bus. Mgr. Charged with Embezzlement in Ohio Fed. Court
On March 16, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Timothy Burke, former business manager-financial secretary of Local 42, Roofers, was charged with embezzling $31,570 in union funds. The charge follows an investigation by the Cincinnati District Office of the U.S. Office of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS, 4/4/05]
Frmr. Secy.-Treasurer Admits Swindling in Minn. Fed. Court
On March 15, in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, Laura Booth, former secretary-treasurer of Local 3129, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), pled guilty to a one-count information charging her with swindling $18,749.41 in union funds in violation of Federal and state laws. Booth pled guilty in Federal Court for committing a state crime in a federal building. The charge and guilty plea follow an investigation by the Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office of the U.S. Office of Labor-Mgmt. Standards. [OLMS, 4/4/05]