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| Jimmy Hoffa Jr and Rome Aloise. Source: TDU |
Richard Mellor
Afscme Local 444, retired
Back in 2017 Facts For Working People covered a strike at Waste Management in San Leandro CA. The strikers were mostly Latino low waged sorters of waste materials, members of ILWU Local 6. Unfortunately, due to bureaucratic squabbles over jurisdiction and organizational details, disagreements between leaderships that are most often taken up despite the harm to union members and the working class as a whole, both management and Teamster officials that represent the higher paid drivers, ushered Teamster members through the picket lines. At this time Rome Aloise a prominent Teamster official, was brought up on charges. You can read about this here. Rome Aloise was suspended for two years for this activity on December 22nd 2017. On February 14th 2020 Joseph E. diGenova an Independent Investigations Officer recommended that the Teamsters General Executive Board file charges against Rome Aloise for similar violations committed during the time of his previous suspension. It is my view that this sort of activity (if Aloise is guilty) while extremely harmful for organized labor is not as widespread as the government and the capitalist mass media present it. When it comes to corruption, graft and bribery, organized labor doesn't come close to the private sector, the institutions of capitalism and the US government.
Back in 2017 Facts For Working People covered a strike at Waste Management in San Leandro CA. The strikers were mostly Latino low waged sorters of waste materials, members of ILWU Local 6. Unfortunately, due to bureaucratic squabbles over jurisdiction and organizational details, disagreements between leaderships that are most often taken up despite the harm to union members and the working class as a whole, both management and Teamster officials that represent the higher paid drivers, ushered Teamster members through the picket lines. At this time Rome Aloise a prominent Teamster official, was brought up on charges. You can read about this here. Rome Aloise was suspended for two years for this activity on December 22nd 2017. On February 14th 2020 Joseph E. diGenova an Independent Investigations Officer recommended that the Teamsters General Executive Board file charges against Rome Aloise for similar violations committed during the time of his previous suspension. It is my view that this sort of activity (if Aloise is guilty) while extremely harmful for organized labor is not as widespread as the government and the capitalist mass media present it. When it comes to corruption, graft and bribery, organized labor doesn't come close to the private sector, the institutions of capitalism and the US government.
Here
is the IIO's introductory statement:
MEMORANDUM
TO:
|
Members
of the IBT General Executive Board
|
FROM:
|
Joseph E. diGenova, Independent Investigations Officer
|
DATE:
|
February 14, 2020
|
RE:
|
Proposed Charges Against International Vice
President At Large, Joint Council 7 President, and Local 853
Secretary-Treasurer Rome Aloise
|
I.
RECOMMENDATION
Pursuant to Paragraphs 30 and 31 of the Final
Agreement and Order, the Independent Investigations Officer (“IIO”) refers the
below report to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (“IBT”) General
Executive Board with the recommendation that charges be filed against Rome
Aloise (“Aloise”), International Vice President, President of Joint Council 7,
and Secretary Treasurer and principal officer of Local 853, for bringing
reproach upon the IBT and violating his membership oath by: knowingly harming a
fellow member, interfering with and inducing others to interfere with the
performance of the Union’s legal obligations, unreasonably failing to cooperate fully with a proceeding of the Independent Review Officer (“IRO”),
retaliating and threatening to retaliate against members for exercising
rights under the IBT Constitution, and committing an act of racketeering; all in
violation of IBT Const., Article II, Section 2 (a); IBT Const., Art. XIX,
Sections 7 (b) (2), (5), (10), and (11); IBT Const., Art. XIX, Sec. 14 (a); and 18
U.S.C.
§875 (d); to wit:
In September and October of 2018, Aloise used his
purported influence over IBT entities in California to threaten financial harm
to charitable organization, Instituto Laboral de La Raza (“La Raza”),
in order to interfere in that organization’s internal affairs to the detriment of a fellowmember. Notwithstanding the acquiescence of the La Raza board to his demands, Aloise’s
actions did in fact cause financial harm to La Raza and harmed his
fellow member. Aloise’s actions were made
in retaliation for the fellow member’s good-faith efforts to comply
with an Order of the IRO.
The IIO also recommends Aloise be charged
with bringing reproach
upon the IBT and
violating his membership oath by: interfering with and inducing
others to interfere with the performance of the Union’s
legal obligations, and unreasonably failing to cooperate
fully with a proceeding of the IRO; all in violation
of IBT Const., Art. II, Sec. 2(a) and IBT Const., Art. XIX,
Sec. 7 (b) (2), and (5), and IBT Const., Art. XIX,
Sec. 14(a); to wit:
Throughout the period of his suspension, Aloise
interjected himself in the affairs of IBT Local 853, Joint Council 7, and the
IBT, despite the prohibitions against his Union activity. He engaged in a
pattern of misconduct and utter contempt designed to circumvent the
restrictions placed upon him by the IRO on December 22, 2017, as restated on January 19, 2018 and November
1, 2019.
The IIO also recommends Aloise be charged with
bringing reproach upon the IBT and violating his membership oath by:
interfering with and inducing others to interfere with the performance of the
Union’s legal obligations, unreasonably failing to cooperate fully with a
proceeding of the IRO, retaliating against other members for the exercise of
their rights under the IBT Constitution, and obstructing and interfering with
an investigation conducted by the IIO; all in violation of IBT Const., Art. II,
Sec. 2 (a), and IBT Const., Art. XIX, Sec. 7 (b) (2), (5), (10), and (12) and
IBT Const., Art. XIX, Sec. 14 (a); to wit:
During the period of his suspension, Aloise threatened
and publicly labeled fellow Teamsters as “rats” or “snitches,” based upon his
belief that they were cooperating with an IIO investigation and/or in retaliation for their good-faith attempts to comply with the IRO’s December 22, 2017 Order. The reader can follow
this link for a PDF of the IIO’s report and recommendations.
**************
Organized Labor has a crisis of leadership and it is
the role of the rank and file of the unions to handle our internal affairs and
specifically to determine the leadership and its role. Facts For Working People
opposes government interference in the internal affairs of the trade union
movement. This does not mean criminal activity should not be prosecuted. We
will comment further on these events.
Rome Aloise has responded to the charges. He wrote on his Facebook Page:
Statement on IIO Charges
In the last few days, I was informed that Joseph diGenova, the Teamsters Independent Investigations Officer (IIO), has brought charges against me, falsely accusing me of violating the terms of my recently concluded suspension that prevented me from serving as a Teamsters official. The charges are false and politically motivated. I will vigorously defend myself (and our Union) and prove my innocence.
In the last few days, I was informed that Joseph diGenova, the Teamsters Independent Investigations Officer (IIO), has brought charges against me, falsely accusing me of violating the terms of my recently concluded suspension that prevented me from serving as a Teamsters official. The charges are false and politically motivated. I will vigorously defend myself (and our Union) and prove my innocence.
Obviously, I am devastated by this news and feel persecuted by the process, which is biased, unfair, uses unsubstantiated information and is based on an alleged "investigation" brought on by my political opponents. Not once during the IIO's allegedly "neutral" investigation did the IIO ever ask for my explanation. Not once did the IIO ever try to interview any Teamster who the IIO now claims were controlled by me. To the best of my knowledge, no other person(s) were interviewed by the IIO except those who stand to gain from my demise as a Teamster official. Using diGenova's own words concerning President Trump, this is nothing more than a political witch hunt.
These actions against me and our Union are touted by TDU, an organization that seems to work hand-in-hand with the IIO to undermine the Teamsters union and our political and democratic processes. Point in fact, TDU posted diGenova's charges even before they were released to the public.
I am not the only one who finds it outrageous that someone like Joseph diGenova - who has recently "disappeared" from Fox News reportedly due to his outrageous crackpot conspiracy theories and his on-air anti-Semitic comments - has once again been able to degrade the Teamsters Union and concoct a series of convoluted charges against me. Your hard-earned dues have paid diGenova millions of dollars to sit in judgement over us and our deeds, all the while representing foreign organized crime figures and employing recently indicted agents who have been implicated in President Trump's Ukrainian scandal.
This latest round of "charges" against me, replete with diGenova's conspiracy theories, comes as we at the Teamsters are entering into our election cycle. DiGenova's apparent cooperation with TDU is, once again, demonstrating diGenova's and the Independent Disciplinary Office's (IDO) attempts to influence IBT elections by charging me, a candidate in the upcoming elections. It is truly unbelievable and reprehensible.
DiGenova's "witch hunt" has been going on for more than 5 years. It has involved my fellow officials, rank-and-file members and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters as a whole. His obsession has had a devastating effect on my family, my finances and my reputation. While I accepted full responsibility for my actions that resulted in my suspension - noting many times in public settings that I was suspended and unable to speak on behalf of, or do any work for the Teamsters - I now have to defend myself again.
I intend to offer an honest
and vigorous defense against this type of treatment that threatens not only me
and my family, but thousands of hard-working rank-and-file Teamsters and
officials who are subject to being ridiculed, charged, smeared on social media,
and removed from office based on unfounded and politically fueled baseless
accusations.
I am thankful for those who believe in me and continue to support me against this insidious and incessant violation of my rights as an individual and Union member by Joseph diGenova, a man who exemplifies and supports everything that I have fought against my entire Teamster career.
There is strength in numbers
and standing up to those who denigrate and undermine trade unions is a
principle that has guided me throughout my many years as a Teamster. I am
confident that it will lead to my vindication.
In solidarity,
Rome
TDU
Teamsters For a Democratic
Union (TDU) has commented on these charges and you can read that here. The Final Fall of Rome
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