The proverbial shit has hit the LIUNA fan - in what looks more like a corporate hostile take-over than a corporate hostile take-over does. No - it's not aliens from outer space trying to seize control of local 183's 30,000 member dues and pension booty. It's none other than LIUNA International - local 183's estranged parent body. The hostile bid is being led by 183's ex-prez and the now, international vice-President Joseph Mancinelli. What's his beef? Well that would depend entirely on which press release one reads.

LIUNA - which is no stranger to allegations of corruption and infighting - from coming under scrutiny stateside for pension investment irregularities to charges of illegal missile purchase - is claiming local 183's immigrant worker process and treatment of workers is tarnishing the union's good name. Too little too late would be an understatement. That it's the very same process which has been in place since '95-'96 - when Mancinelli J. himself operated the local and in '02 when an internal audit dubbed the local a "role model" - seems to fly over their machine-heads. That the LIUNA pot really began boiling over in '96 - about the same time local 183 shamelessly began touting itself as an "autonomous affiliate" - obviously feeling it's oats after successful raids on the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners Union (UBCJA) nearly tripled it's dues units - could be suspect, but one question stands out - why now? Here's Local 183's version:

"It's and ongoing part of their agenda," said Local 183 spokesperson Keith Cooper, "to interfere with and ultimately gain control of the largest local in the Union. Their 'emergency' began in the fall of 2003 and continued all this year, but despite court challenges and days of scheduled hearing at the OLRB and the lack of any indication of wrongdoing, Washington chose now to act. As we have said all along, this fight is political and we believe there were never any allegations of wrongdoing, just an attempt to use that as cover in its takeover bid. A strong Canadian local is a threat to LIUNA."

It was a tumultuous beginning and rise to the top of local 183 - Antonio Dionisio and his executive being unceremoniously booted off the throne by Mancinelli J. way back when. Not taking very kindly to the firing - Dionisio organized some best buds to attend an alley ruckus in an effort to change Mancinelli J.'s mind - it worked. The alley protest resulted in Mancinelli J. - just as unceremoniously - reinstating Dionisio to the 183 throne minus the 13 member exec team.

That Dionisio must have miss-read the re-instatement as his deed to local ownership - he wasted no time forging ahead with his own legend. Cozying up, rubbing elbows and breaking bread with some of Ontario's highest political flyers and undoubtedly earning enough elite brownie points to draw support from the local's unionized employers, many of which have freely jumped into the union ring of fire.

Not to be outdone, when local 183 filed with the Ontario Labour Board and asked it to order daddy union off it's back - LIUNA International engaged the services of it's own Ontario labour community heavy weight. Defending LIUNA before the OLRB was the law firm of Cavalluzzo Hayes Shilton McIntrye & Cornish - a firm made whole with the blending in of UFCW celebrity firm John R. Evans and company - a merger au gratin'.

The Ontario Labour Relations Board - ignoring a protest by Dionisio's followers - denied the Local's request - finding sufficient grounds to support the International's charges to move ahead - and we don't doubt they will. OLRB's vice-president and Canadian Independent Hearing's Officer - Brian Keller - gets the last word.