BNA Daily Labor Reporter
No. 96
Page A-5
Thursday, May 18, 2006 Chicago
and New York City Carpenters files
ISSN 1522-5968
& News
Unions
Labor Department Sues Carpenters Union, Complaint
in PDF format
Charging Faulty Election of Regional Officers
CHICAGO--The Department of Labor is
seeking a court order voiding the election
of officers to the Chicago Regional
Council of Carpenters (CRC) in response to
complaints that the incumbent officers
held a secretive, undemocratic election in
violation of the Labor-Management
Reporting and Disclosure Act(Chao v.
Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters,
N.D. Ill., No. 06 CV 2555, 5/8/06).
The Labor Department suit, filed in the
U.S. District Court for the Northern
District of Illinois May 8, asks a federal
judge to order the CRC to hold new
nominations and elections for the offices
of: president/executive
secretary-treasurer, first vice president,
second vice president, warden, conductor,
three trustees, and three regional council
business representatives. In addition, the
suit demands that the CRC conduct new
nominations and elections of delegates for
all 42 locals within the regional body.
The CRC, which is affiliated with the
Carpenters and Joiners of America,
represents some 47,000 carpenters in 82
counties in northern Illinois, southern
Wisconsin, and eastern Iowa.
The Labor Department's suit points to two
major problems with the CRC's election by
acclamation of officers on July 9, 2005.
The suit alleges a violation of Section
401(e) of the LMRDA because "members were
denied a reasonable opportunity to
nominate and to be nominated as delegates
because of an unreasonable candidacy
qualification, which required nominees for
CRC officers to have served as a delegate
for three successive years prior to
nominations."
The suit also alleges a violation under
Section 401(d) of the LMRDA in that not
all delegates participating in the CRC
nominations and election were actually
elected by secret ballot by the
memberships of the locals they represent.
The suit stems from a series of complaints
lodged by four Chicago Carpenters union
members following the July 9 election. In
August 2005, the four members filed
complaints with UBC General President
Douglas McCarron, as required under the
international union's constitution. When
the complainants failed to receive a final
decision from the general president, they
filed individual complaints with the Labor
Department.
Jeff Fearon, one of the four complainants,
said the entire process was rigged to
retain the previous slate of officers and
delegates and to suppress dissent.
Fearon accused the CRC of holding a
completely closed election process. He
said no notice of the election was
provided to the membership, and that
members only learned of the election after
completion of the process. He added that
none of the positions were contested and
that voting was done by acclamation.
Moreover, Fearon said many delegates from
the individual locals were appointed and
were not duly elected by the members of
those locals.
"All we're looking for is a level playing
field," Fearon told BNA. "By law this
union is supposed to have free and fair
elections, but that's not happening. We're
supposed to have a process that resembles
the American political system, but it
never seems to happen."
Gene Tenner, director of communications
for the CRC, declined to comment on the
Labor Department's complaint. Tenner said
the CRC does not comment on matters being
litigated.(Embedded image moved to file:
pic30527.gif)
By Michael Bologna