LIUNA’s dispute with Local 183 takes new twist

The Labourers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) announced Monday it was putting Local 183 of the Universal Workers Union under emergency trusteeship, but has since committed to maintaining the status quo until after a hearing is held.

Hearing to decide on trusteeship

staff writer

Daniel Randazzo, LIUNA legal counsel for Central and Eastern Canada, said in an interview that in order to maintain peace and stability the order won’t be enforced right away, “so in some respects the status quo will be maintained.”

“We’ve committed that to Local 183 and its members and to the labour board.”

Randazzo said that if action is taken against Local 183 or the officers for something that may arise during the interim period, they’ll be given 72 hours notice.

LIUNA made the an- nouncement it was putting Local 183, the largest construction local in North America, under trusteeship after independent investigators that looked into a number of allegations against officials of Local 183 reported a number of findings.

The investigation probed allegations of misconduct by officials of Local 183 against immigrant workers and local union members of LIUNA.

In a statement, LIUNA said the findings of the investigation forced it to put the local under emergency trusteeship.

Randazzo said in the statement that the parent union had to take action.

“We did what any responsible union would do, which is to place the local in trusteeship in the face of serious allegations of misconduct,” he said.

However, Keith Cooper, spokes- man for Local 183, said in an interview it is an “invisible trusteeship” because the officers and directors of Local 183 are still in control of the union.

‘We aim to repair the damage in Local 183 and return control to its members as soon as possible.’

Daniel Randazzo

Local 183 had sought to suspend the trusteeship, but on Tuesday the Ontario Labour Relations Board declined to do that.

Cooper said Local 183 was assured at the board hearing that the building will not be seized and none of the officers will be removed.

“The counsel for LIUNA today guaranteed the board that the status quo at 183 as it existed before the trusteeship will exist from here on in until the decision” of the hearing.

“Until something changes it’s business as usual,” Cooper said.

LIUNA and the officials from Local 183 have been in a battle for a number of months over various issues.

According to LIUNA, allegations against officials of Local 183 stem from how the union handled undocumented workers, the manner in which the officials dealt with some contractors, and the manner in which pension credit claims and some collective agreements were handled. The allegations, which are explained in more detail in the statement issued by LIUNA, have not yet been proven.

The investigation process began in 2003, led by Ronald Pink, managing partner of the Halifax-based law firm Pink Breen Larkin. Pink, who serves in a watchdog capacity as independent Canadian legal counsel to LIUNA’s General Executive, conducted the investigation under the union’s Ethical Practices Code.

The General Executive Board Counsel—Canada is an independent position created by LIUNA’s Canadian Ethical Practices Code, whose job is to ensure that local unions and their leadership conduct themselves in accordance with the code.

To look into specific allegations, Pink hired the Inkster Group, headed by Norm Inkster, who served as commissioner of the RCMP for seven years.

The lead investigator was the firm’s senior vice-president, Doug Nash, a 25-year RCMP veteran and an expert on fraud and breach of trust investigations.

Pink, with the assistance of the Inkster Group, spent hundreds of hours interviewing witnesses under oath and reviewing thousands of documents and computer files.

His report to the union’s international president recommended placing Local 183 under trusteeship.

Under the constitution of LIUNA, trusteeships must be reviewed by a Canadian independent hearing officer. In the case of Local 183, the hearing officer will be Brian Keller, a nationally recognized labour arbitrator and former vice-chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

Keller will determine whether the trusteeship may continue after hearing evidence—including any submissions—from Local 183 officials. If Keller determines that the trusteeship should continue, the local will remain in trusteeship only until the problems identified by LIUNA are rectified and measures are in place to ensure the local operates in its members’ best interests.

Randazzo said the investigation process was initiated and conducted entirely by Canadians.

“It’s fair, open and independent, led by some of the leading individuals in their fields,” he said, noting that LIUNA takes great pride in being a union run by and for working people. LIUNA says a detailed information package will be mailed out shortly to members.