General President Arthur Coia has been
charged under the LIUNA Ethical Practices Code by General Executive
Board (GEB) Attorney Robert Luskin.
The specific charges have not been made available
to Laborers Union members or the press.
Coia has prostate cancer. This is his second
battle with cancer.
The Inspector-General's (I-G) budget has
been reduced by LIUNA. Since the I-G's office conducts the investigations
that are essential to the reform effort, this means less over-sight
is the order of the day
Reports continue to come into Hard Hat
of hiring hall abuse despite two hiring hall directives from
the GEB's office, and many such reports to the I-G.
In Connecticut, one member was beaten in
a local Executive Board meeting in front of LIUNA Vice-President
Vere Haynes. No charges have been brought and Haynes has not issued
a statement.
In another incident, the Business Manager
of one local was assaulted by the Business Manager of another
local at the Connecticut Laborers Training Center.
This attack took place in front of LIUNA
Vice-President Armand Sabotoni. Again, no charges and no statement
by the GEB member who witnessed the assault.
In California. LIUNA Vice-President Mason
Warren put San Jose Local 270 into trusteeship then left in office
the very officials convicted of back-dooring jobs and financial
wrong-doing Convicted Local 270 Business Manager Ray Duran then
put his younger brother on the payroll as a field agent.
One Local 270 member said, "We have
no faith in the I-G's office." The entire Northern California
District Council was recently re-election without opposition.
Some officials were nominated for their offices by the District
Council head. Archie Thomas. despite their convictions for Ethical
Practices violations
The Agreement between LIUNA and the Justice
Department has been extended until January 31, 1999. This is well
short of the next LIIUNA general election, which could be run
without supervision by the government
Was the original Agreement between LIUNA
and the Justice Department politically influenced by large financial
contributions from the Laborers to the Clinton Administration?
Until it is investigated, this question cannot be laid to rest.
A recent U.S. Senate hearing looked into
possible campaign finance violations by the Democratic Party,
yet could shed no light on the relationship between the Laborers
Union and the White House.
This despite evidence that Harold Ickes,
President Bill Clinton's close advisor, was on the payroll of
LIUNA at the same time Clinton's Justice Department was moving
to end years of organized crime domination of the union.