TERENCE M. O'SULLIVAN
General President

CARL E. BOOKER
General Secretary ­ Treasurer

Vice Presidents:

MASON M. WARREN
VERE 0. HAYNES
CHUCK BARNES
GEORGER R.GUDGER
MIKE QUEVEDO, JR
ARMAND E. SABITONI
Assistant to the General President

TERRENCE M. HEALY
RAYMOND M. POCINO
EDWARD M. SMITH
JAMES C. HALE
JOSEPH S. MANCINELLI
STEVE HAMMOND
JOSEPH J. LICASTRO
WILLIAM H. QUINN

MICHAEL S. BEARSE
General Counsel

Mr. Alex Corns
c/o Local Union 36
6229-A Mission Street
Daly City, California 94014

This will acknowledge your communications of March 8 and 9, 2000. Let me respond briefly to the several matters you raise therein that warrant clarification.

First, the total amount to be paid to former General President Coia will be $250,000 inclusive of his pension and emeritus pay. The amount you reference from the LM Report of 1998 includes various expenses in addition to salary. No such additional compensation is included in the emeritus package approved by the General Executive Board.

As to your claim that former General President Coia "used the local unions and district councils to buy time and negotiate the best deal possible for himself and his friends at the expense of all local unions and district councils, "this is plainly contradicted by the record.

Numerous decisions reported by the Independent Hearings Officer and Appellate Officer address varying instances of misconduct, maladministration or other improper practices which have been considered and remedied since Mr. Coia first initiated and supported the adoption of the Code of Ethics and Ethics and Disciplinary Procedure in 1995. More significantly, Mr. Coia himself was charged, vigorously prosecuted and substantially exonerated pursuant to the Code.

Further, as acknowledged by the Department of Justice, it has been the demonstrated efficacy and uniform application of these same internal reform programs which have been key to our Union's ability to preserve our independence and autonomy and, most recently, to eliminate entirely the threat of a government takeover of LIUNA and the prospect of federal oversight of all the affiliates.

Trusting that this is responsive to your concerns and will close our correspondence on this matter, I am

Fraternally yours,

MICHAEL S. BEARSE
General Counsel

cc: Terence M. O'Sullivan,
General President

Carl E. Booker,
General Secretary-Treasurer

HEADQUARTERS
905-16th Street, NW
Washington, D.C.20006-1765

Phone (202) 737-8320
Fax (202) 737-2754

cc: msb:aw

cc: Pacific Southwest Regional Office

cc: Robert D. Luskin,
GEB Attorney

cc: W. Douglas Gow,
Inspector General