Urban Unrest

23 September 2006 | Politics | Ernesto Aguilar

Confronting Corruption in Labor Unions: Rank and file insurgency? Government intervention? Internal reform? Assessing a half-century of effort.

Union activists at all levels and government agencies have worked for decades to drive out the mob and rid unions of corruption. Where are we? What have been the results, the successes and failures over the last 50 years? The Association for Union Democracy will address these questions at an all-day conference in New York City on Saturday, October 14, 2006. (Pre-Register Online at www.uniondemocracy.org.)

For the first time, rank-and-file reformers, union officers, workers rights attorneys, court-appointed trustees, labor journalists, and former law-enforcement authorities will share experiences and examine the issues. Speakers include:

James Jacobs: NYU law professor and author of Mobsters, Unions, and Feds, The Mafia and the American Labor Movement.

Herman Benson: Editor of Union Democracy Review and author of Rebels, Reformers, and Racketeers, How Insurgents Transformed the Labor Movement.

Edwin Stier: Court-appointed trustee for Teamsters Local 560 and sponsor of RISE, an internal union program to root out corruption in the Teamsters union.

Edward Sadlowski: Former Steelworker District Director. Served as trustee over Chicago Laborers locals once in the hands of organized crime.

Barbara Harvey: Attorney representing Teamsters for a Democratic Union in elections under government supervision.

Susan Jennik: Former AUD Executive Director, attorney, assigned by Ron Carey to help reform Teamster Local 966.

Mike Sullivan: Former reform leader in Roofers Local 30, once under a disastrous federal trusteeship.

Robert Fitch: Author of Solidarity for Sale, How Corruption Destroyed the Labor Movement and Undermined America’s Promise.

Carl Biers: Former AUD Executive Director, currently working for the administrator appointed by the court to oust the mob and institute democratic practices in International Longshoremen’s Association Local 1588.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Center for Urban Research, Graduate Center, CUNY, and by WBAI’s “Building Bridges: Your Community & Labor Report.”

Location: CUNY Graduate Center, 5th Avenue (at 34th Street), 9th Floor
Time: 10:30 a.m.– 5:30 p.m.
Registration: $15 donation. Space is limited. Pre-registration is
strongly urged to ensure a seat. Registration on the day of the
conference begins at 10 a.m.

Pre-Register Online at www.uniondemocracy.org.

Do you support a strong, democratic labor movement? Join AUD. AUD relies on the individual contributions of union members to carry out our mission to promote a strong, democratic, and honest labor movement. Join or contribute online at http://www.uniondemocracy.org/Home/joinaud.htm or call 718-564-1114.

Association for Union Democracy
104 Montgomery Street
Brooklyn, New York, 11225; USA
718-564-1114

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