By LIZ HALLORAN
"We got beat," Manos said Saturday
afternoon outside the union's Ledyard Street headquarters after
the day-long voting ended. "I expected to do better, but
a lot of people we counted on - they didn't show up.''
Nearly 400 members of the 791- member local
voted; 276 cast their ballots for LaConche as business manager,
119 voted for Manos. Manos had served as the local union's vice
president.
The three members who joined LaConche on
his slate easily defeated candidates on the Manos team. Those
elected were: Frank Freeman, vice president; and Wayne Silva and
James Lawson for the executive board.
Manos, a member of the union for 33 years, has been entangled in controversy since he decided two years ago to challenge LaConche for the local's key job. Last month he testified in Washington before a congressional subcommittee looking into union democracy, claiming he has been harassed and punished by LeConche since deciding to challenge him.