Copyright 1995 The Hartford Courant Company  
Hartford Courant (Connecticut)November 7, 1995 Tuesday, STATEWIDE
SECTION: CONNECTICUT; Pg. B7

LENGTH: 493 words

HEADLINE: LAWSUIT TARGETS LABORERS' UNION;


BYLINE: MARK PAZNIOKAS; Courant Staff Writer

BODY:
The Connecticut Laborers' union has stifled dissent by illegally withholding money from a Bridgeport local run by dissidents, the local claims in a federal lawsuit.

In a suit filed in U.S. District Court in Hartford, Local 665 of Bridgeport attacks the longstanding financial practices of the union's statewide organization, the Connecticut Laborers' District Council.

The lawsuit comes as the U.S. Justice Department is closely monitoring the union's national organization, the Laborers International Union of North America, for ties to organized crime and anti-democratic practices.

Arthur A. Coia, the general president of the Laborers' International, was able to avoid a federal takeover of his union by agreeing earlier this year to a series of reforms.

The financial practices now under attack in Connecticut were in place while Coia ran the union's New England office, which is based in Providence.

"Arthur Coia was a beneficiary of this system," said Leon M. Rosenblatt of West Hartford, the attorney for Local 665. "Coia now promises to end the abuses of the past. This is a chance to do so."

A spokesman for the Laborers' International declined to comment on the suit, which names only the Connecticut council as a defendant. Charles LeConche, the council's business manager, could not be reached for comment.

The force behind the litigation is Ronald Nobili, the business manager of Local 665. His father and grandfather held the position before him, dating from 1936.

Nobili said he had a duty to his members to bring the suit.

The lawsuit claims that Local 665 has responsibility for 260 square miles in Connecticut, making it one of the largest and busiest Laborers' locals in the state. But the suit says the local is shortchanged by the statewide council.

The council collects dues that go into a common fund, which helps pay the administrative costs of the union's locals throughout Connecticut.

"In a typical year, Local 665 members rank fourth among 10 locals in dues paid to the defendant, but rank ninth or tenth in allocations from the defendant," the suit says.

As a result, Nobili has had to lay off staff.

By controlling the administrative funds, the council has created a patronage system: supporters of the council get more money back than they send in, while enemies get less, the suit says.

"Any local leader who objects to the way the district is operating would be biting the hand that feeds them," Rosenblatt said.

Herman Benson, the executive director of the Association for Union Democracy, said the issues raised by Local 665 will test the resolve of the union's national leaders to reform the organization.

Last year an internal union grievance panel rejected a complaint about the Connecticut financial practices by the Bridgeport local, prompting the federal lawsuit.

"Does that reflect a really effective reform machinery?" Benson asked. "So far, I'd say it does not demonstrate that."