Manchester Journal Inquirer

5-6-98

Laborers Union Leader Testifies Of Criminal Acts

By Laura Maggi

States News Service

WASHINGTON -- The challenger for the top leadership job at a Hartford- based local of the Laborers union told a congressional panel Monday that "unprecedented criminal behavior is occurring there"

Speaking before a House hearing about problems with union democracy , Stephen Manos of Glastonbury testified that after being elected vice president of Local 230 of Laborers' International Union of North America in 1995, he was harassed and threatened by the union's local leadership, including business manager Charles LeConche.

Manos also said that since he has become a candidate for business manager, the top position at the local, he has been deprived of work and was physically assaulted by union officials at an executive board meeting last July. The business manager election will be held next month. Due to House rules, Manos did not mention LeConche during his testimony. "Hartford Laborers' Local 230 is run by a part-time business manager. He is also the business manager of the Connecticut Laborers' District Council. He exercises one man rule in Connecticut and is insulated these positions," Manos said.

But Michael S. Bearse, general counsel of the Laborers' International, told lawmakers that Manos accusations have to be considered within context of a heated political battle to win the leadership job.

"Manos has had every opportunity for review of his complaints," Bearse said. He also told the House Employer-Employee Relations Subcommittee that .the construction union had restructured its process for investigating complaints, establishing an independent inspector general's office.

Union under scrutiny

The Laborers' International is basically on a probation period which began three years ago, after the union signed an agreement with the Justice Department. Extended by one year this February, the agreement gave the union some time to clean itself up, or face a government takeover, according to Carl Biers, executive director of the Association for Union Democracy, a watchdog group for members rights in unions.

Robert M. Cheverie, Local 230's lawyer, said in an interview after the hearing that Manos' charges were all unfounded.

In response to Manos' assertion that he is barred from speaking at meetings. Cheverie said that the vice president is allowed as much time to speak as any other member. He called Manos' charges that he is being denied employment an "absolute fabrication."

The congressmen's reactions to Manos' testimony were partisanly divided. Rep. Donald M. Payne, D - N.J., the subcommittee's senior Democrat, grilled Manos about one of his charges- - that he was forcibly ejected from a meeting by the union's sergeant at arms, Frank Freeman, after being threatened by LeConche.

Manos said the assault occurred at an executive board meeting attended by a Laborers' International vice president and one the union's lawyers --on July 30 at the Capriccio Ristorante on Franklin Avenue in Hartford.

Responding to a question from Payne, Manos said that he brought his accusations to the Labor Department, the FBI, the U.S. attorney's office in Connecticut, the Hartford Police Department, the union's inspector general, and general executive board attorney - but none of those organizations took any action.

"The FBI are pretty thorough" said Payne. "They look thoroughly through things. How do you attest that they found your charges insufficient?"

Manos told Payne that neither the FBI nor the Hartford police made a full investigation of his charges. "We have been abandoned by certain entities for inexplicable reasons." he said.

Confrontation taped

But Rep. Harris W. Fawell, R-Ill, chairman of the subcommittee. said he was by what he read in the transcript of the attack -recorded secretly by Manos.

"I cannot see how it was justified, the extent of the force and profanity that Mr. Manos was subjected to," he said. Fawell said he bad considered playing Manos' tape recording during the hearing but that it was too liberally peppered with expletives, though none were uttered by Manos.

Manos distributed copies of the tape to reporters after the hearing.