Sometimes union bosses have a hard time keeping their hands out of the cookie jar. Here are the best rackets from September:
In New York, Rocco Fazzolari, former President of International Brotherhood of Trade Unions Local 122, plead guilty to an information for Embezzlement of Union Funds, Embezzlement from an Employee Benefit Plan as well as Conspiracy to Embezzle from an Employee Benefit Plan. More than $128,000 was embezzled from the union and more than $1.1 million from the benefit fund.
In Wisconsin, Teresa Adkins, former business manager of Heat & Frost Insulators Local 127, plead no contest to one count of theft in a business setting of more than $10,000 and one count of forgery. Adkins was then sentenced to five years of probation for the first count and three years of probation for the second count. Adkins was also ordered to pay $73,618 in restitution and $8,418 in fines.
In Oregon, John Burgess, former President of Pacific Stainless Products Employee Association Local 304, was indicted for one count of embezzling approximately $35,000 in union funds. He was also indicted for one count of concealment or destruction of labor union financial records.
In South Carolina, Dana Quinn Roush, former President of American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 403, was charged with one count of embezzlement in the amount of $10,089.
In Ohio, a suit was filed against the American Postal Workers Union Local 72. The complaint alleges that the union denied members the right to vote when it failed to make reasonable efforts to update the membership mailing list, obtain better addresses for undelivered ballots, respond timely to member requests for replacement ballots, and count ballots from members missing secret ballot envelopes. The union also failed to maintain adequate safeguards when it provided inconsistent and inadequate notice regarding deadlines and the method of returning ballots. Lastly, the union failed to elect by secret ballot vote when ballot numbers could be matched to an outer envelope and a voter list was maintained linking the ballot numbers to members.
