August 9, 2010

VINCE GIBLIN'S SON PLEADS GUILTY TO USING HIS POSITION FOR PERSONAL GAIN AND EMBEZZLEMENT

March 22, 2010
Former IUOE 2nd VP and President BM of powerful
Local 150 Bill Dugan Pleads Guilty.

A former local union boss who owns a buffalo farm in Maryland pleaded guilty today in federal court in Chicago to a misdemeanor charge of violating labor law by accepting livestock feeders from a company that employed workers from the Chicago union.
William Dugan, former president of the Operating Engineers Union Local 150, admitted to taking concrete buffalo feeders from an Elgin company in 2005. He could face up to a year in prison when he is sentenced in September.
Dugan, 76, who retired from his union post in 2008, now lives on the buffalo farm in Maryland. He formerly served on the Illinois Gaming Board.
As part of his plea agreement, Dugan also admitted illegally taking other items of value in the past. Dugan said he accepted a front-end loader in 2002 from another company that used union workers, according to his plea agreement. Dugan also had a farmer who was renting land from the union give him two 400-bushel truckloads of feed corn each year from 2003 through 2005.
In addition, he improperly used a semi-tractor and trailers belonging to an apprenticeship program while he was chairman of its board in 2003.
Dugan's attorney, Joseph Duffy, declined to comment Monday. Dugan had no comment as he left the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse.
 

(read the indictment)
http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/2116763,ex-labor-chief-union-benefits-032210.article

March 17, 2010
President Giblin throw's hissy fit! Employs my way or the
highway philosophy in Los Angeles Local 501.

At first, it seemed like a straightforward matter. Jim McLaughlin, who had led the operating engineers’ union local in Southern California for 17 years,
was reviewing some expense accounts and grew convinced that his local’s
apprenticeship coordinator had charged more than $2,000 in improper
expenses to the apprenticeship program.
(read more)

March 8, 2010

Former IUOE VP Charged with violating Federal Labor Laws

http://www.suntimes.com/news/24-7/2090542,william-dugan-charged-federal-labor-law-030810.article

Feb 4, 2010

Former union organizer pleads guilty in labor racketeering case

A former organizer for Operating Engineers Local 17 on Wednesday became the first person pleading guilty in connection with a labor racketeering case filed against construction union leaders almost two years ago. Local 17 was investigated for years by agents from the Buffalo offices of the FBI and the U.S. Labor Department.

(read the story)

1/1/2010

Bad Moon Rising over IUOE?

Do you belong in the IUOE General Pension Plan? Have you worked for a local, a local apprenticeship program, or secretarial pool for a IUOE Local? If so and you are not receiving or invited to participate in the plan you better read this document and the IOUE constitution. It is very clear who is eligible to participate, if you think you are eligible you should call the IUOE immediately, better yet send a receipt certified letter, (sometimes they tend to not tell the whole story) and get an affirmative yes or no as to whether you are eligible, if they say no, send another receipt certified letter demanding in writing as to why. Here is a copy of the eligibility information and the contact information for the IUOE. Ask for Vince Giblin direct. International Union of Operating Engineers 1125 17th St. NW, Washington, DC  20036  Phone: (202) 429-9100     Fax: (202) 778-2613

(read the plan document)

(read IUOE Constitution page 110, Art. 27.)

12/24/09

(Read more here)

12/4/09
Secretary Of Labor Enforces Supervised Local 150 Election
After two and half long years the members of Local 150 will get at least a little satisfaction knowing that the USDOL Secretary will supervise the next Local 150 election in August 2010. There are still many unanswered questions members have concerning this election hopefully this extreme measure will prevent any more fraud and abuse that was rampant in the last election. Local 150 has spent millions of members dues money fighting this suite and using other lawsuits as Billy clubs to beat the members into submission and docility, this will be the start of change for union democracy's sake.
(read the order here)

12/11/09

Local 825 Members screwed again. N.J. woman accused of faking extortion, death

SPRINGFIELD -- When the FBI first approached Deborah Moshier in September, she claimed to have a good excuse for embezzling $5,300 from a labor union benefits fund in Springfield. She told investigators a fellow union employee had been extorting her, demanding roughly $20,000, authorities said.
(read more here)

12/2/09
More idiots at IUOE Local 3. Local 3 land valued at $27 million sells for $2000.
On Nov. 16, a judge gaveled more salt into the wounds of the Operating Engineers Local 3 Pension Trust Fund and the Amalgamated Bank. It came in a tentative decision that established the value of the land at $27 million, or 13,500 times more than the $2000 Bruce Palmbaum paid for it at the judicial foreclosure auction. I hope the members sue.
(Read Here)

12/2/09
Giblin Fails to end corruption in New York. Former Prosecutor Appointed to Investigate Corruption in Crane Operators’ Union Local 14-14b

A federal judge has appointed a former prosecutor to investigate corruption and mob influence in
the powerful union that represents most tower crane and heavy equipment operators in New York
City, a move prompted by numerous convictions of union officials and organized crime figures.
(Read Here)

12/2/09
More issues for Local 501 members
IUOE investigates Local 501. Here's what the Foxes found in the henhouse. It sure is strange that all these issues were found out by an IUOE internal investigation team that doesn't seem to be able to find out crap in Local 68, his kids own local that is under federal investigation. Read the investigation findings here.
(Read Here)

10/27/09
Something stinks from Local 324 in Detroit all the way to the IUOE in DC
This is how the big boys play with the peons money. After the bone head investments by IUOE Local 324 lost $ millions of members hard earned pension money it is becoming clear how these arrogant bastards continue to screw IUOE union members across the country. How many more scandals in the IUOE will it take for someone to clean house? Giblin wont do it because his own son and local 68 is under FBI investigation. Local 825 is under trusteeship. Local 501 was sent a letter that they were under investigation. Locals 14 and 15 were the subject of an organized crime infiltration. FBI raid VP and Local 150 President/Business Manager Bill Dugan's ranch in Maryland then he resigns amid FBI investigations. Officers of Local 17 were indicted by the feds. What the hell Judge Zazzali are you still alive, or are you bought and paid for too? Now Local 324 Business manager and IUOE VP John Hamilton s name surfaces in a pension scandal. Another one bites the dust! Read the disgusting truth here.

(read it here)
(PDF Version)

some 324 members comment

8/21/09
An open Letter to Members of IUOE Local 501

Well members it looks like there is a lot of turmoil going on there in Local 501. I was requested to take down the letter posted from Sandra Ascosta, because it may not have been from Sandra, someone is not being honest. If any members wants to call or email me with the truth I am sure the other members would like to know.

UPDATE: 10-6-09 General President Giblin issues investigation letter to Local 501. How convenient to investigate Locals that have leaders that disagree with the Kingdom in DC.

(Read the letter here.)
 

7/7/09

Local 18 Members fight back against tyranny

New website launched to inform members of tyrannical business manager Pat Sink. Election opposition member fined $9000, others threatened with arrest for democratic vocalization at union meetings.

http://iuoelocal18reform.com/index.php

(read more)

Local 12 Operating Engineer Refused Burial Funds from IUOE

Tuesday, June 2, 2009  
Raymond J Barnes a 75 year old member of the Operating Engineers Local 12 was abandoned by local union officials after passing away. The member was late with a payment that would have given him burial benefits. The family claims he paid for years and years and never missed a payment, but you see toward the end he was suffering from Alzheimers and missed one payment.
Here's a guy who believed in labor unions all his life, he was a card carrying member of Operating Engineers Local Twelve since the middle of the last century. But when he passed away three weeks ago, union leaders turned their back on him and his family. And now they're refusing to pay for his funeral, all because of a fifty dollar mistake!
(check out the facts here)
http://www.kusi.com/features/turko/46777907.html

July 20th update:
Members and press force union to change their tune!

(read more)
 

General President Vince Giblins Son indicted and cuffed appears before judge
Federal authorities in New Jersey today charged the nephew of a state assemblyman with skimming union funds to pay for work on his condo.
Dennis J. Giblin, president of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 68 and administrator of its Education Fund, could face several years in federal prison if convicted of the counts contained in a federal indictment.
Giblin's father, Vincent J. Giblin, is national president of the union and chairman of the board of directors of Horizon Blue Cross-Blue Shield of New Jersey.
His uncle is state Assemblyman Thomas Giblin, an Essex County Democrat who ran the union for decades and now serves as its business manager.
Dennis Gilbin turned himself in this morning, then was brought in handcuffs before a federal magistrate in Newark. He was released on $25,000 bail.........(Read Here)
 

3/28/2009 GOOD NEWS
Construction workers in Portland, Ore., have come up with a unique way to help children with a serious disease. It all began about three weeks ago when Roger Bullock, a 12-year member of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 701, found a penny on the floor of the elevator he operates five days a week at a downtown Portland construction site.

(Read Here)

Press Release: 2-21-2009

Engineers For A Democratic Union, Local 825 Chapter

Local 825 in conjunction with the IUOE and other IUOE locals through the actions of certain union officials and members have formed their own ORGANIZED CRIME FAMILY that has functioned as such by preying on their memberships contractors, property owners and the American public.

Allowing the IUOE Organized Crime Family to continue their strangle hold that they have held on 825's membership through elicit activities and intimidation interferes with the right of Local 825 members to free speech and democratic participation in the affairs of their labor organization and conspiring to interfere with the right of the Local members to loyal and responsible representation by their union officials, agents, employees and representatives. It also creates a dangerous environment at construction sites throughout New Jersey and New York.

For some unknown reason the Federal Government has dropped the BALL to properly prosecute this RACKETEERING ENTERPRISE. The New Jersey US Attorney needs to restart the TRAIN, SWITCH TRACKS AND PLAY FOLLOW THE LEADER into a new direction, the same direction as the New York US Attorney pursued against IUOE Local 14.

On the east coast its a family affair, you have the Soprano's, the Campbell's, and then you have the Giblin's.

Dennis Giblin son of Vince Giblin the President of the IUOE was arrested for doing what seems to be taken as a right for anyone in union office these day's. Dennis the President of IUOE Local 68 is also the nephew of New Jersey state Assemblyman Thomas Giblin, Thomas Giblin just happens to be the Business Manager for Local 68. Dennis was charged today in an alleged kickback scheme as federal prosecutors continued to investigate what sources have called a corruption probe into a union local and the politically active family that has run it for decades.

(read more about this story here)

Club Fed Ahead for another Giblin buddy and former IUOE VP

    The leader of Springfield N.J.,based IUOE union local 825 was sentenced today to three years and 10 months in federal prison for participating in a bribery scheme tied to the building of the Goldman Sachs office tower in Jersey City. Kenneth Campbell, of Basking Ridge, had risen from a crane operator to the business agent of Local 825 of the International Union of Operating Engineers. He admitted in October to taking more than $250,000 in kickbacks and spending workers' money on televisions for himself and a Lincoln Town Car for his father. "I wish I had stayed a crane operator," Campbell said, his husky voice cracking as he stood before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler. Chesler ordered Campbell to pay a $40,00 fine and about $247,000 in restitution to the union. The crime, the judge said, was not simply a lapse in judgment. "It was sheer unmitigated greed," Chesler said. In exchange for the kickbacks, the contractors were allowed to circumvent their collective bargaining agreement obligations, including using non-union labor on some jobs and having fewer than the required number of operators on certain pieces of equipment.

read the entire article here (nj.com)

(read a copy of the FBI complaint here)

IUOE Ethics Czar may be over his head...........

James R. Zazzali, a former New Jersey State judge with many other impressive credentials, has been selected by Andy Stern to preside over a mixed committee of eminent citizens and SEIU officials charged with the task of developing a code of ethics cogent enough to discourage SEIU representatives from misappropriating union money. The question is whether it is fair to burden him with so heavy a responsibility, one that could require intense concentration and a heavy investment of time. The problem is that Judge Zazzali is already occupied with his job as a staff member of the International Union of Operating Engineers. Earlier this year, he was hired, or retained, as the IUOE Ethics Officer to enforce its newly strengthened Code of Ethics, which he had drafted. Fulfilling just that responsibility alone could put anyone under an intolerable strain because there is so much to do........
(read the entire article here)

IUOE debuts new website look and previews long awaited Ethics information.

The IUOE is sporting a new look these days with many new features and interesting links for IUOE members. What is also new is the fact that you now have to register to see the secret content, I am sure the secrecy has to do more with the 1st amendment lawsuit against election websites than any pertinent content employers might glean from the site. The other major addition is a page dedicated to the Ethics reform instituted since corruption of many locals has appeared on this website and in the national news. I would advise every member to look at this ethics page and if necessary use the procedure to file actions against any unethical practices that may be ongoing in their local.

http://www.iuoe.org/

Feds could force Local 150 to undo election

DOL documents accuse Dugan and Sweeny of using employer funds and union funds to steal election Chao vs Local 150

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/1195367,CST-NWS-union01.article

Canadian Local 793 members defeat web site rule

11,000 members of local 793 have spoken, and over 65% of the members who attend the trial of Monti Rose returned a not guilty verdict on the web-site rule. The charges against Doug Styles Jr. the web-site designer were then withdrawn by the union. The transcripts of the trial will soon appear on the website "www.timeforchange793.org"

(Click here to read the whole story)

Corrupt IUOE labor official gets no break for his good deeds

A federal judge in Newark yesterday rejected a defense notion that a union official's good deeds should cut months off his prison sentence on bribery and tax evasion charges. Defense lawyer William Lundsten asked for a break because Peter O. Strannemar, 66, of Blairstown, had helped build a church, a school and a Boy Scout camp in northwest New Jersey, even doing some of the manual labor himself. But U.S. District Judge Stanley Chesler was not overly moved, saying Strannemar's crimes as president and business agent of Local 825 of the International Union of Operating Engineers in Springfield overshadowed his charitable acts. He sentenced him to 27 months.

(Do you think Giblin will throw him out now? Don't hold your breath)

http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-11/1221625583297340.xml&coll=1

Local 520 Granite City Illinois Forced To Rerun Election

On August 14, 2008, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with the International Union of Operation Engineers (IUOE) Local 520 (located in Granite City, Ill.), concerning the election of officers conducted on August 10, 2007. The union agreed to conduct, under OLMS supervision, a new election for the positions of Business Manager, President, Vice President, Recording-Corresponding Secretary, Treasurer and Financial Secretary.  The OLMS investigation of the challenged election disclosed that union funds were used in the preparation of campaign literature. The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office. 

http://www.dol.gov/esa/olms/regs/compliance/volun_agree_2008.htm

IUOE Local 3 Members FINALLY receive justice, Doser pays!

                               IUOE does nothing!

FORMER LOCAL 3 BUSINESS MANAGER, and IUOE EXECUTIVE BOARD MEMBER  DOSER ORDERED TO PAY HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN DAMAGES AND FORFEIT FUTURE PENSION BENEFITS IN EXCESS OF $925,000.

The Court has now issued its ruling on the jury verdict and the remaining claims against Doser. As expected, and contrary to the inaccurate information Doser and his supporters disseminated, the damages assessed against him are huge. Doser was found to have breached his fiduciary duty to the membership and to have converted union funds for his own personal gain. In issuing its ruling the court accepted the jury’s finding of “breach of fiduciary duty” and “conversion” and added the official court findings that Doser had engaged in “self-dealing” and had “unclean hands” in accepting certain payments which were improper and a violation of his duty as Business Manager. Having considered the jury’s verdict along with his own duties as Judge in a Court of Equity, the Court has ordered Doser to pay as follows:

1. He must pay back $238, 531 for unlawful pension benefits he has received as well as pre-judgment interest at the rate of 10% per annum for the past 46 months. This interest portion of his judgment will add approximately $50,000 to the total award.

2. His future pension benefits are to be reduced by $5,185.47 a month which will result in a reduction in his yearly benefits from about $108,544.32 per year to $45,939.76 per year, for an annual savings to the pension trust fund of $62,604.56 per year. Over his entire life expectancy, this means that Doser will forfeit approximately $925,313 in

pension benefits which his wrongful manipulations of pension contributions would have brought him, had we not gone after him in this suit.

3. He must repay $129,130 in improper vacation payments he took on his retirement.

4. He must repay $108,544 in improper sick leave payments he took.

5. He must repay more than $24,000 in expenses from double dipping on his reimbursements for his duties as an International Vice President.

In total the actual damages awarded against Doser amounts to $500,760, including interest, and he will forfeit $925,000 in future pension benefits. Thus, the present and future value of the judgment is in excess of 1.4 million dollars. After the trial Doser and his supporters claimed that the current administration was lying to the membership when it claimed jury trial victory because he had instead “kicked their ass”. The truth is that he was found to have taken the members’ money

without authorization and unlawfully tried to inflate his pension benefits by more than a million dollars. This administration has vigorously pursued this litigation against Doser in order to correct the wrongs he committed while in office and to send a message that no-one can get away with misusing the very great powers properly given to him by the Constitution and By-Laws of our Union and by trying to improperly capitalize on his popularity by seeking improper and excessive personal gain because he thought he deserved more for his efforts. It is a sad day for our Union when we have to pursue a former Business Manager, whom we all trusted because he did such a good job in so many ways. But it is a great day for the transparency of our Union when we can clean house ourselves and recover the members’ money when it has been misappropriated.

Meanwhile, former Business Manager John Bonilla has threatened to sue the Union for his own attorney fees incurred in defending a cross-claim brought against him by former house counsel Paul Supton and others in this same action. The Business Manager is in consultation with the Executive Board to consider all legal options not only regarding Mr. Bonilla’s claim as well as his improprieties in allowing Mr. Doser to do what he did. Mr. Bonilla was at the helm when Mr. Doser was not only kept on the payroll as “Business Manager Emeritus”, an essentially “ghost” employee after Bonilla took over as Business Manger on his birthday, November 3, 2003. Significant evidence came out during pre-trial proceedings and at trial that disclosed that Bonilla’s active role

was far greater than he has claimed. There are serious questions raised about Bonilla’s own culpability in these events.

Finally, the Department of Labor is continuing with its own investigation into all these events. The Union’s attorneys will be meeting with the DOL this week to discuss all these developments.

So there can be no further misrepresentations of the result of this important trial, we are attaching to this summary the actual ruling of Judge Van Camp and the Verdict form. There are still some remaining issues that the Judge will be called upon to decide which may result in additional damages being assessed against Doser. We will keep you posted.

 http://www.oe3.org/news/files/0808_EN_News.pdf   (check our page 6)

Local 150 Union buckles under weight of the truth.
According to a letter from the NLRB Local 150 has now decided to comply with the Labor Boards decision and admit they were wrong, Roddie Thomason business agent lied, and they screwed a fellow member. They are now obligated to pay $38, 121.55 out of the locals treasury to a member who was ahead on the out of work list, but not the member who blew the whistle. That members gets punished not rewarded. The member who got the money had to be subpoenaed just to testify. The whole process was designed to screw former business agent Ron Chiado's son. So much for brotherhood. The worst part of the story is that Local 150 Lawyers with union cards in their pockets spent dues money on members time to cover up a lying business agent and screw a fellow member all because of politics. All because they want to show they are better than the members not equal with them. Lawyers that are union members fighting against members who run the iron day in and day out is the most blatant misuse of trust in this local. This is what got elected not what the members wanted.

(Labor Board Letter)

Federal RICO lawsuit hits Local 150 leaders over grievance settlements

July 31,2008

Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, one officer Steven M. Cisco, and two of its business agents Bob Darling, and Chuck August are being sued in federal court by two operators who allege that these members of the Joint Grievance Committee accepted a bribe to fix the outcome of a grievance filed against their employer. The suit further a pattern of racketeering activity addressed by the RICO statue. “Defendants’ fraudulent acts are not isolated but rather are part of a fraudulent pattern of conduct through which the defendants encouraged, support, and otherwise participated in a pattern of and practice of soliciting, seeking, securing, and otherwise accepting bribes to fix, change, or otherwise unfairly impact grievances involving Local 150 members,” the suit states.
http://www.chestertontribune.com/Business/7309 federal_lawsuit_hits_local_150_l.htm
 

Former Local 825 Lead Engineer Admits Taking Bribes from Contractors

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nj/press/press/files/pdffiles/horb0707 rel.pdf

More scandal for Giblin. Prosecutors to oversee NYC construction union

July 28, 2008

Amid civil RICO claims and mobster prosecution. A consent decree between prosecutors and Local 14 of the International Union of Operating Engineers allows a federal judge to appoint two officers who can dismiss and appoint union officials, seize union assets and visit job sites to root out corruption. Will Local 150 be next?

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--union-corruption0729jul29,0,6464164,print.story

IUOE Continues Gestapo tactics against Canadian Freedom of speech, harasses apprentice cancer victim

Dated: Jul 15, 2008

Crane apprentice who developed website threatened with being thrown out of union for not shutting down

presidential nominee's website. IUOE continues its stranglehold against anyone who seeks free and fair elections.

(Read the whole story)

IUOE 2nd VP Bill Dugan Resigns from Local 150 amid scandals and FBI investigations.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/

More problems for Giblin and Local 825

Both Kenneth Campbell and Pat Campbell in serious trouble.

http://www.nj.com/starledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-10/121454139452510.xml&coll=1

http://www.iuoewatch.info/PDF Files/Local825SupersedingIndict6_27_2008.pdf

http://www.iuoewatch.info/PDF Files/Local825t6_27_2008.pdf

Federal agents raid IUOE 2nd Vice President Bill Dugan's ranch

May 30, 2008
Federal agents early this morning raided a Maryland buffalo ranch and hunting store owned by prominent Chicago-area labor leader William E. Dugan in connection with a wide-ranging criminal probe.

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/980339,dugan053008.article

 

Labor Board finds IUOE Local 150 Guilty of Unfair Labor practice against it's own members

May 13, 2008

In a decision issued April 30, 2008, Region 33 of the National Labor Relations Board denied an appeal by IUOE Local 150 for violating members rights and subversion of the hiring hall practices. The board and the ALJ John West found continually that one of the Dugan Administrations hand picked BA's Roddie Thomason lied repeatedly under oath to cover up an open violation of the hiring hall practices. (read the transcript here, especially page 19)

IUOE Local 17 a Criminal Enterprise

May 10, 2008

IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES for the Western District of New York MAY 2007 GRAND JURY Impaneled 5/04/07.

There existed in the Western District of New York, and elsewhere, an "Enterprise" as that term is defined in Title 18,United States Code, Section 1961(4); namely, a labor union and a group of individuals associated in fact. The Enterprise consisted of a labor union known as the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 17, AFL-CIO (hereinafter, Local 17), a labor organization as defined under the Labor Management Relations Act, Title 29, United States Code, Section 152(5), with principal offices located at 5959 Versailles Road, Lakeview, New York 14085.

(read here)

Former Local 825 BA admits taking bribes from contractor.

May 10, 2008

NEWARK – A former business agent of Local 825 of the International Union of Operating Engineers pleaded guilty today to taking a bribe from a contractor in exchange for permitting the contractor to use non-union labor, U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced. Arthur Heimall, 69, of Sussex, pleaded guilty to a one-count criminal Information before U.S. District Judge Stanley R. Chesler, charging him with conspiracy to demand and receive an unlawful labor payment. Under federal law, it is unlawful for any officer or employee of a labor union, such as a business agent, to demand or receive money or anything of value from an employer that the labor union represents. (read here)

IUOE Local 547 Election Overturned by DOL

BREAKING NEWS
APRIL 26, 2008

Department of Labor overturns another crooked election. Gary Lucy reported today with good news that the Department of Labor has overturned last summers election in IUOE Local 547 and the election will be rerun. This is good news for all reformers who sometimes wonder if David has a chance against the IUOE goliath. More to come. To learn more about another crooked election go to http://restoretherespect.com/default.aspx

Operating Engineers supervising troubled Buffalo-area local

April 15, 2008

IUOE supervising Buffalo-area Local 17 because of racketeering indictments.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) _ The International Union of Operating Engineers is now running its Buffalo-area local because the president and 11 other officers and members are charged with racketeering and extortion. Local 17's executive board requested the supervision after President Mark Kirsch and the others were indicted last week. The parent union agreed, saying the action is necessary to protect the interests of the union and its members. The International Union of Operating Engineers represents 405,000 heavy equipment operators, mechanics and maintenance workers in the United States and Canada. Local 17 has about 2,500 members in western New York. The indicted members of Local 17 are on unpaid leave from the union.

http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/newyork/ny-bc-ny--union-racketeerin0415apr15,0,6511226.story

4/15/2008

U.S. Labor Dept. sues 5/3rd Bank, IUOE Local 324 Pension in jeopardy?

$28 million real estate investment sold for $4.5 million

Troy, Michigan – The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Fifth Third Bank, an Ohio corporation and advisor to the Operating Engineers Local 324 Pension Fund in Troy, Michigan, to recover plan losses suffered when the defendants mismanaged the sale of property owned by the fund. The bank and Carey Milestone Advisors LLC, another Ohio company, managed real estate investments on behalf of the pension plan. Based on the advice of Carey Milestone Advisors, the bank furnished the plan with a strategy for development of property located at 1001 Woodward in Detroit, Michigan. Fifth Third  Bank subsequently reversed its development strategy and sold the property to the Cavaliere Group for only $4.5 million in 2004. At the time the sale took place, the plan had invested more than $28 million in the property. (click here to read story)         (more here)

4/11/2008

IUOE Union hogs feast at the members expense, Giblin gets $42,712 raise!

Check out this report taken from the 2006 and 2007 LM2 report on the $42,712 raise for poor Vince Giblin

4/8/2008

12 Union Officers and members of IUOE Local 17, indicted in New York!

The corruption continues in the IUOE henhouse under fox Vince Giblins watch as United States Attorney Terrance P. Flynn announced today the unsealing of an 8-count Superseding Indictment charging 12members of Operating Engineers Local 17, based in Hamburg, New York, with engaging in a violent scheme to extort jobs and compensation associated with those jobs from both local and out-of-town, businesses and their employees. (Click here to read the press release)

3-26-2008

Former Business Agent from IUOE local 825 pleads guilty to taking bribes, implicates others.......

(click here to read the report of the U. S. Justice Department just published today)

3-11-2008

Kenneth Campbell 8th IUOE VP and Business Manager of Local 825 indicted!!
Newark: Kenneth P. Campbell, 56, of Basking Ridge, and Peter O. Strannemar, 66, of Blairstown, were
arrested this morning on an Indictment, which was unsealed today, by Special Agents with the
FBI, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General’s Office of Labor Racketeering
and Fraud Investigations, and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division. Both defendants appeared
before U.S. Magistrate Judge Esther Salas for their initial appearances. Campbell and Strannemar
were each released on $100,000 bonds secured by equity in their homes.

According to the Indictment, these defendants and their co-conspirators demanded and received
cash from the companies in exchange for labor peace and to permit the companies to circumvent
requirements of a collective bargaining agreement. According to the Indictment, the defendants
and their co-conspirators obtained at least $88,000 in cash from the steel erector company and at
least $23,600 in cash from the plumbing company. In addition, the Indictment alleges that
Strannemar received free household appliances from the plumbing company, which were
delivered to his cabin in New York. The Indictment alleges that after A.M. obtained the cash
payments from the companies’ representatives, it was given to C.W., who then delivered it to
Campbell and Strannemar.
 

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2008/03/2_union_leaders_charged_with_t.html

2-8-2008

Edward C. Levy Co. Workers decertify Local 150

http://www.post-trib.com/business/783494,levy.article

2-4-2004

IUOE Members continue to get punished while the IUOE does nothing to uphold the IUOE Constitution or punish the Business Manager....

In 2006 the Business Manager for Local 98 in Massachusetts was found guilty by the Local trial board for denouncing a black member in blatantly racists term and of threatening him with reprisals. The BM got 20 hours of diversity training, but for the black operating engineer of 28 years things continued to get worse. Why wasn't this BM fired? Why wasn't this member supported by Giblin and his do nothing VP's? You have to read this story to believe it. This is your IUOE at work.......

http://www.uniondemocracy.com/UDR/162-Race_gender_and_unfair_hiring_in_construction_two_cases.htm

BNA Reports 1-2-08

Members Can Sue IUOE Local 150 President Bill Dugan for using training fund for personal use

United States Federal Judge Rebecca R. Pallmeyer gave the go ahead for members of Local 150 to sue its President/Business Manager and 2nd Vice president of the IUOE with their claim that Dugan breached his fiduciary responsibility under ERISA by using assets of unions apprenticeship training fund for his own personal benefit. Read the BNA report.

Read the court case description here. http://pub.bna.com/pbd/07c286.pdf

Federal agents raid union offices and Jersey City home

of Local 68's president, Dennis Giblin

U.S. agents raid union offices led by a key Jersey Democrat

Nov. 22 -- JOHN P. MARTIN AND ELIZABETH MOORE -- Star-Ledger Staff
Federal agents yesterday raided the offices of a West Caldwell union long headed by state Assemblyman Thomas P. Giblin, part of what sources said is an ongoing corruption probe into the union and the politically active family that has run it for decades. Armed with a search warrant, about a dozen agents from the Department of Labor and U.S. Postal Inspection Service arrived at the West Caldwell offices of International Operating Engineers Local 68 around 9 a.m., ushering workers into a hall and demanding personnel and business records from union leaders. Agents also served warrants at other Local 68 sites and the Jersey City home of Giblin's nephew, Dennis Giblin, the union's current president and fund administrator.
Thomas Giblin, the former chairman of the state Democratic Party who served as Local 68 president for nearly three decades, emerged from the West Caldwell offices and denied any wrongdoing. Giblin, whose current title is business manager, said he and other workers complied with the agents' requests. "We're going to cooperate, whatever the government wants," he said later. "Based on my feeling, I don't believe I've done anything wrong."
Giblin, 59, said he had "no idea" what the probe was about, and speculated it might involve a disgruntled employee.
The sources, who requested anonymity because the investigation is ongoing, declined to discuss specifics of the case and a spokesman for U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie said the office would have no comment.
The warrants listed Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Moscato, a member of the U.S. Attorney's Strike Force, a unit that focuses on organized crime.
In past years, the same unit has investigated mob influence and prosecuted labor officials in other New Jersey locals for embezzling benefit funds, awarding no-show jobs and defrauding their unions.
Agents spent more than six hours at the Local 68 site in West Caldwell, poring over contracts, correspondence, payroll logs and other records. It was unclear how much material they seized.
But the raids were an unexpected development involving one of New Jersey's more politically active and prominent Democratic families. Giblin, a longtime Democratic powerbroker in Essex County, rose to state party chairman after helping James E. McGreevey win the governor's seat in 2001. He stepped down four years later and the next year lost a bruising party primary for Essex County Executive. Giblin, from Montclair, is in his first term as a Democratic assemblyman. He has been a Local 68 member for more than 30 years, following his father, John, who served as the union business agent and later won election to the state senate.
His brother, Vincent, was until this year chairman of the New Jersey Casino Redevelopment Authority, the state agency that collects and distributes casino taxes. Vin cent Giblin also serves as general president of the Washington, D.C.- based International Union of Operating Engineers, a 400,000-member construction workers union. Dennis Giblin is his son; he could not be reached for comment late yesterday. Local 68, founded in 1958, represents nearly 5,800 New Jersey workers. The West Caldwell site and another one in Atlantic City provide specialized training for the engineers, from apprentices to journeymen, who work with refrigeration systems, power plants, boilers and air-conditioning systems.
For nearly half its existence, Thomas Giblin was president of Local 68. He said he left that post in 2004. He collects a $199,000 salary as business manager, according to an annual report filed this year with the Department of Labor.
The union buildings are located in a corporate park off Passaic Avenue, a main thoroughfare that runs from Fairfield through West Caldwell. The buildings are in the flight path of the Essex County Airport. About 14 employees were at the offices when the agents arrived yesterday morning. Giblin said neither he nor the union had a defense lawyer but they would be hiring one. He called the raids "unfortunate" but said he was hopeful Local 68 could still hold training classes last night. "These are civic and law-abiding folks," he said.

John P. Martin covers federal courts and law enforcement. He may be reached at 973-622-3405 or at

jmartin@starledger.com.

OPERATING ENGINEERS (IUOE Local 150)
Illinois President Re-Elected Despite Kickback Accusation

The word of Bill Dugan proved more believable than that of his accusers - at least to most members of International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150. Dugan on August 25 was re-elected to his eighth term as president and business manager of the suburban Chicago local in the face of allegations from about 125 members that he'd been accepting monthly kickbacks of $100 each. Receiving 61 percent of the vote, Dugan denied wrongdoing, insisting that a lawsuit filed earlier this year by dissenters against him was politically motivated. Still, the lawsuit remains in force, which suggests that the dissenters, led by challenger Joe Ward, might have a point or two. The 22,000-member Local 150, based in Countryside, Ill., represents operators of cranes, backhoes, bulldozers and other equipment in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa.
(Chicago Tribune, 8/28/07). .

OPERATING ENGINEERS (IUOE)
Northern New Jersey Business Manager’s Office Raided by Feds

International Union of Operating Engineers Local 68 is a Giblin family affair. Federal law enforcement officials think this affair has been going on for too long. In an exclusive interview with Brian Thompson of New York City’s WNBC-TV, Tom Giblin, the union’s business manager, admitted that agents from the Labor Department’s Office of Inspector General had executed a search warrant of the West Caldwell, N.J. union’s offices. Moreover, the agents had served subpoenas on several employees who manage the union’s trust funds.
Giblin hastened to note that he himself had not been served, and added that the searches were based on questionable accusations of a disgruntled former employee. But that hardly means he’s out of the woods. Law enforcement sources told Thompson that Giblin is a key target of a corruption probe, along with his brother, Vincent, a top official of the international union. What’s more, agents on November 21 searched the home of Vincent Giblin’s son, Dennis, who runs Local 68’s trust funds. The unfolding case has political significance for New Jersey. Tom Giblin long has been active in Essex County politics, and for several years was chairman of the state Democratic Party. (WNBC-TV.com, 11/22/06).

IUOE Local 3

Local sues outgoing Business manager and attorneys to recoup hundreds of thousands given to Don Doser.

While leaders of New York's Central Labor Council were agonizing over what to do after their president was indicted for stealing a few million dollars from unions and assorted other sources, members of Operating Engineers Local 3 on the West Coast did not wait upon law enforcement authorities after they discovered that their business manager had misdirected the local's money. By New York standards, it was a modest amount, only $500,000. Still, it was their money. They shamed their executive board into retaining an independent investigator whose report became public property in the local. They organized an insurgent slate which defeated the business manager and ended his control over the local. Then the local sued to try to get the money back. It was not an easy undertaking. This is a construction local with over 40,000 members scattered over four states, including Hawaii. Here, according to informed local members, this how they did it:

http://www.uniondemocracy.org/UDR/139-Confronting_corruption_charges_in_IUOE_local_3.htm

TEAMSTERS STEAL ELECTION

Teamsters indicted in union vote fraud case

By Jeff Coen | Tribune staff reporter
11:56 AM CDT, September 7, 2007
An officer of Teamsters Local 743 in Chicago has been indicted along with three former union employees in an effort to rig elections in 2004, authorities announced today. In two closely contested elections a few months apart, the defendants allegedly diverted hundreds of mailed, official ballot packages to friends, relatives and confidants instead of Local 743 members. They then cast the ballots to ensure the election of an incumbent slate of officers running under the "Unity Slate," the indictment alleges.
Charged with conspiracy to commit fraud are Richard Lopez, 53, of Maywood, identified by prosecutors as the secretary-treasurer for Teamsters Local 743; as well as Cassandra Mosley of Gary, Mark Jones of Joliet and David Rodriguez of Chicago. Mosley and Jones were union business agents until last year, authorities said. Rodriguez was an organizer since 2003, the U.S. attorney's office stated.
There were no immediate court appearances set in the case. The four charged could face up to 5 years in prison if convicted, prosecutors said. Local 743 represents about 12,000 union members in warehouse, office, medical, service and other industries, authorities said.
jcoen@tribune.com

UNION AIMS TO START WITH A CLEAN SLATE

LABOR | Reformers win Teamsters vote supervised by feds

October 24, 2007

BY FRANCINE KNOWLES fknowles@suntimes.com

A slate of reformers has been elected to head the Teamsters' 12,000-member Local 743, where last month its president was indicted for helping steal the last election.

Members elected all but one trustee of the 743 New Leadership Slate headed by Richard Berg, who received 1,112 votes for president, narrowly beating opponent Reginald D. Ford, who garnered 1,058 votes.

"This is great," said Berg, who lost in his last bid for president. "It's been a long time coming. The 743 New Leadership slate has been part of the rank-and-file movement that has been tying to rid our local of corruption and give the union back to our workers. We've very pleased." The union represents transportation, clerical, food service, nursing home and manufacturing workers.

The election was supervised by the U.S. Labor Department. In September, federal prosecutors indicted Local 743 President Richard Lopez along with three other union members alleging they schemed to defraud the local by diverting hundreds of ballots that had been returned to the union by mail because the addresses were old or no longer good. The four were accused of changing the addresses in a union database and having the ballots sent to friends, relatives or associates who weren't union members.

Berg filed a complaint with the Labor Department, which found the ballots had been diverted. In a July settlement, union officials admitted a controller shredded the eligibility list, noting that might have affected the outcome of the election.

"Our first priority is to clean all the corruption out of 743 and then use the resources to give full representation to the members," Berg said.

http://www.suntimes.com/business/616695,CST-FIN-teamsters24.article

FROM THE IUOE

IUOE President Vincent J Giblin had to report, on LM-30, that he had received $181,900 in salaries from Blue Cross, a union vendor. However, the Lawyers decision in Local 237 is not the ruling of a law enforcement authority but a private finding. The form is on file with the Labor Department, which will have to decide what to do about it.

Click here to review the LM30

from the Union Democracy Review

Corruption charge dropped against a Jersey City man

woes continue for Giblin

Thursday, January 17, 2008
BY GUY STERLING
NEWHOUSE NEWS SERVICE
A federal complaint charging a Jersey City man with participating in a kickback scheme was dropped yesterday, an accusation that implicated the president of a union local who's a member of a family prominent in New Jersey labor circles.
U.S. Magistrate Claire C. Cecchi in Newark signed an order brought to her by government lawyers that stated prosecution of Christopher Ruton, 35, on the conspiracy charge was "not in the best interests of the United States at this time."

Ruton's attorney, Henry Klingeman, predicted the charge against Ruton - that he had his apartment in Jersey City renovated at a discounted rate as part of the scheme - will not be brought back.  In the days since his client was arrested on a criminal complaint in late November, Klingeman said, he presented federal prosecutors with evidence that Ruton had properly contracted for the work and paid fair market value for the job. "I'm grateful the government rectified its mistake within a relatively short period of time and did not put Mr. Ruton through the ordeal of a trial," Klingeman added. But prosecutors weren't as definitive. "This doesn't mean that aspect of the investigation or any part of the investigation is over," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Moscato. "This is very much an ongoing investigation.' In the complaint charging Ruton, Dennis J. Giblin, president of the International Operating Engineers Local 68 and administrator of its Education Fund, was identified by his title and initials.
Giblin was not charged but allegedly accepted free and discounted painting and carpentry services for his Jersey City home from a contractor who worked for the union. According to authorities, Giblin directed the contractor to work on Ruton's unit in exchange for additional work with the fund.

http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1200552985318840.xml&coll=3

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