Union leader Coia diagnosed with
cancer of prostate
By JOHN E. MULLIGAN
Journal-Bulletin Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- Arthur A. Coia, the embattled
general president of the Laborers Union, has been diagnosed with
prostate cancer, he told his members yesterday.
But Coia, 54, of Rhode Island, told union
members in a written message that the diagnosis has come at an
"extremely early" point in the course of the illness. Thus, Coia said, "the treatment I will undergo has a 90 percent cure rate."
Coia said, "I will undergo surgery in
the near future, and anticipate a short, few weeks' recovery,"
during which time he will continue to oversee the union.
Coia was diagnosed with another form of cancer,
Hodgkin's disease, at about the time he became chief
officer of the union in 1993. After treatment for the disease,
however, Coia received a favorable prognosis for full recovery.
The union's internal cleanup unit recently
lodged corruption charges against Coia that could cost him
his job. Coia declared his innocence and vowed to contest the
charges. No date for hearings has been set.
The Journal-Bulletin's Web site, projo.com,
includes an archive of Journal-Bulletin reports on Arthur
Coia dating back to 1995, with links to related sites. Go to: http://ww.projo.com/special/coia/main.htm.
Copyright © 1997 The Providence Journal Company Produced by www.projo.com