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.