By GREGORY N. HEIRES
The union has acted quickly to address allegations of financial
malfeasance in two local unions.
At the insistence of DC 37 and local leaders, the treasurer of a
local at a cultural institution resigned in July and is paying back
several thousand dollars he used for personal expenditures.
In a second case, Municipal Hospital Employees Union Local 420 suspended
Treasurer Georgiana Neller in August for allegedly signing Local
President Carmen Charles’s name on several checks and ordering
a Local 420 staffer to sign a half dozen other checks. These charges
are before the Judicial Panel of AFSCME, DC 37’s national union.
Local 420 also suspended 1st Vice President Antonia Marte. Ms. Marte
allegedly witnessed Ms. Neller signing the checks and improperly
received two checks made out to her.
“I want everyone to be clear that I have zero tolerance for
corruption,” said DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts.
Roberts: “We mean business.”
“We mean business here. I will not stand by and let this institution
of 125,000 members be tarnished by the acts of a few.”
Meanwhile, DC 37 is stepping up training for local treasurers and
other officers. Working with its national union, the American Federation
of State, County and Municipal Employees, DC 37 is periodically
holding seminars on union finances.
The voluntary training deals with union dues, budgeting, record
keeping, financial reports and reimbursed expenses.
If sufficient demand exists, DC 37 will offer professional bookkeeping
services to small and medium-sized locals that desire the assistance.
In a case involving Zoological Employees Local 1501, General Counsel
Joel Giller said DC 37 helped work out a settlement after receiving
a report from President Anthony Bigone, White Collar Division Director
Sherwyn Britton and Assistant Director Michael Riggio. The treasurer
resigned and agreed to make full restitution.
Depending on the circumstances, allegations of corruption may also
go to the DC 37 Ethical Compliance Officer, the U.S. Labor Dept.
and the Manhattan District Attorney.
“We confronted the treasurer, he admitted what he had done,
and we immediately cancelled his signature at the bank and took
back all the union records,” said Mr. Bigone. “I want
to thank Lillian Roberts for working with us to help clear up the
situation.”
Mr. Bigone said Local 1501 Vice President Chris Wilgenkamp and the
local’s Executive Board played a “very important role
in cleaning this up.” After the resignation, Local 1501 elected
a new treasurer, Marty Zybura, Mr. Bigone said.
In the Local 420 case, President Charles suspended Ms. Neller and
Ms. Marte. In September, after investigating, AFSCME upheld the
suspensions pending a full hearing on the merits of the case. As
PEP went to press, the Judicial Panel was to schedule the hearing
by Oct. 26 and issue a decision within 30 days after that