News reports, union financial data, and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings reveal that Workers United has a track record of nepotism.
SEC reports show that the Secretary Treasurer of Workers United – Edgar Romney Sr. – has a son employed at Amalgamated Bank – a bank where Workers United is the largest shareholder. A board member of the bank since 1995, Edgar Romney Sr.’s position on the board could have allowed his son to elevate through the company for the last fifteen years. His son – Edgar Romney Jr. – was recently promoted to chief revenue officer of the bank.
According to Amalgamated Financial’s 14A Proxy Statement from 2022:
Romney Sr. might have taken his cues from leadership at Workers United and one of its predecessor unions – UNITE. Former UNITE President Bruce Raynor and his sister were both on the payroll at the same time in the early 2000s. Harris Raynor was the UNITE southern regional director and an international vice president when her brother was the president of the union.
Shortly after Bruce Raynor formed Workers United in 2009, his sister was promoted to president of the Southern Region Joint Board and was earning a six-figure salary and was reimbursed for more than $60,000 in business expenses.
According to the 2011 Financial Filings with the Department of Labor for the Southern Region Joint Board:
Perhaps the most visible representation of nepotism at Workers United is its current president – Lynne Fox. Fox’s father –- John Fox – was the manager of the Philadelphia Joint Board of UNITE/Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers for nearly twenty years (UNITE and Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers are predecessors to Workers United).
At the end of her father’s leadership, Lynne Fox appeared in a 1998 newspaper article as working as the “assistant manager” of the Philadelphia Joint Board.
Immediately after her father’s retirement from UNITE, Lynne Fox was promoted to his old position: international vice president and manager of the Philadelphia Joint Board.
According to the National and Regional Joint Board 2001 Financial Filings with the Department of Labor:
Even after Fox’s retirement, the name John Fox appears on the payroll as “special projects director” and “office staff” between 2001 to 2008. All said and done, John Fox was paid over $350,000 from the union.
According to the Philadelphia Regional Joint Board’s 2001-2008 Financial Filings with the Department of Labor:
Nepotism at Workers United also has a home in the Rochester Regional Joint Board, where Gary Bonadonna Sr. retired and was replaced as manager by his son, Gary Bonadonna Jr. Bonadonna Jr. previously served as the “assistant manager” under his father. Although Bonadonna Sr. had “retired,” he remained on the payroll for the next three years as the “assistant to the manager” and collected a total of $120,000.
Have any examples of Workers United’s nepotism? Tell your story at [email protected].
