Nov. 5, 1998

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) Officials of the Connecticut Laborers' Union have agreed to settle a federal lawsuit over the collecting and controlling of union dues.

The Connecticut Laborers District Council agreed Monday to settle a lawsuit brought by a Bridgeport local, which accused the council of illegally collecting more than $1 million a year in funds that should have gone to the locals.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, claimed the council used the money to pay off officers in local shops.

The agreement was struck under the guidance of a federal magistrate, Ronald Nobili, business manager for Local 665, the Bridgeport group said Wednesday.

The lawsuit had claimed that the district council circumvented federal labor laws by repeatedly raising members' dues without the members' authorization.

The council represents construction workers' unions in 10 Connecticut communities, including New Haven, Bridgeport, Hartford and New London.

Under the agreement, laborers will have the right to approve or reject future dues increases by secret ballot.

Dues taken out of members' paychecks will have to be distributed to locals in proportion to the number of hours worked by each local's members.