This is simply amazing. In one month, the Department of Labor Office of Labor Management Standards accounted for the following criminal activities by union bosses:
On February 4, 2008, in the Douglas County, Wisconsin Circuit Court, John Sigafus, former Secretary-Treasurer of Machinists Local W-335, pled no contest to theft of union funds in the amount of $2,500 or less. Subsequently, Sigafus was sentenced to one year probation and ordered to make restitution in the amount of $5,363.91. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
On January 30, 2008, in the Circuit Court of Kanawha County, West Virginia, Timothy A. Wilson, former employee of the Stage and Picture Operators Local 271, was sentenced to two years probation for forgery. On November 16, 2007, Wilson pled guilty to a one count felony charge of forgery in the amount of $168. Prior to the investigation, Wilson paid restitution in the amount of $16,750. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Pittsburgh District Office
On January 30, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, William Sargent, former Treasurer of AFGE Local 704, was indicted on one count of mail fraud involving a scheme to defraud the union of approximately $31,015. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On January 29, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan, Brad Harper, former Treasurer of AFGE Local 1629, was sentenced to 14 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release, ordered to pay a special assessment of $100, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $75,069.49. On August 9, 2007, Harper pled guilty to one count of making materially false statements on the local’s annual financial report. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit District Office.
On January 29, 2008, an embezzlement of union funds investigation conducted by the OLMS Seattle District Office resulted in the subject entering into a Pre-Trial Diversion Agreement with the United States District Court for the District of Idaho. Under the terms of the Pre-Trial Diversion Agreement, the subject must complete 40 hours of unpaid community service work, and not hold any union office. Due to the confidential nature of the Pre-Trial Diversion program, details that could identify the subject are not public information. The Pre-Trial Diversion follows an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office.
On January 29, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, an information was filed against Kristen Swint, former Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer of Machinists Local 2339-C, charging her with one count of falsifying union records. The charge follows an investigation by the OLMS Cleveland District Office.
On January 23, 2008, in the United States District Court for Connecticut, Timothy C. Ferrucci, former President of Northeast Emergency Services Union, was sentenced to one year probation, which includes six months of home confinement, and ordered to pay a $2,000 fine and make restitution of $27,347. On November 2, 2007, Ferrucci pled guilty to four counts of filing a false report. Ferrucci admitted making false statements on the local’s annual Form LM-3 for the years 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. In each of the annual reports, Ferrucci understated the amount of compensation he directly or indirectly received. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS New Haven Resident Investigative Office.
On January 19, 2008, in the County Court of Fremont County, Colorado, Jamie Solis, former President of Steelworkers Local 594, was charged with one count of theft of union funds in the amount of $500 or more, but less than $15,000, by threat or deception. The charges follow an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office
On January 18, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, Michael Rutowski, former Treasurer of AFGE Local 2913, pled guilty to one count of making a false and fraudulent representation to a federal agency. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Seattle District Office.
On January 18, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, Salvatore Battaglia, former President of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1181, the primary union that represents drivers and escorts for school bus companies in New York City, pled guilty to participating in the conduct of the affairs of a racketeering enterprise in violation of 18 USC 1962 (c). Battaglia’s act included the extortion of bus company owners. The plea follows a joint investigation by the OLMS New York District Office, the FBI, and the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General.
On January 16, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, Clarence Morgan, President of Steelworkers Local 2948, was indicted on one count of embezzling union funds in the approximate amount of $20,499. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office.
On January 16, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Georgia, James Eric Kay, former President of Boilermakers Local Lodge 523, was indicted on 43 counts of embezzling union funds in the approximate amount of $16,979. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta District Office.
On January 16, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, and information was filed against Fredrick W. Jones, former Vice President of Glass, Molders, and Plastic Union Local 285, charging him with one count of embezzling union funds in an amount over $10,000. Subsequently, Jones pled guilty to the offense. The plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Chicago District Office.
On January 15, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, Kim M. Van Handel, former President and acting Treasurer of Steelworkers Local 1980, was indicted on one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $11,500. The indictment follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
As former United States Senator John McClellan pointed out in a speech made on the floor of the Senate, October 7, 1965, “Compulsory unionism and corruption go hand in hand.”
The ultimate cure for union corruption is to end forced unionism so rank and file workers can vote with their wallets when union corruption is uncovered.
In 2020, Johnny Doc was recorded threatening to “beat up,” “run over,” and “put under water” any rank-and-filers who cooperated with federal prosecutors. But he still publicly claims to be all about helping workers!
Glacier Northwest Inc. v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 174 has been brought before the Supreme Court.
No union, but especially not one with multiple top officials convicted in federal court of accepting bribes and embezzling workers’ dues money, should be allowed to impose unionization on workers by colluding with company officials to bypass a secret ballot vote. That’s why it is critical that any state incentive package includes a condition that the decision over whether to unionize the proposed Ford-SK Innovation Western Tennessee plant be made with workers having the full protection of a federally supervised secret ballot vote, and absent any backroom deal between company and UAW officials.