Chrysler, UAW and Bribes
What is a union man or women to do when the people who say they are working hard for you are actually taking bribes and working hard for your employer?
That is a question that many in the unions must wrestle with. Yes all people from all walks of life are susceptible to criminal behavior but when it affects 10’s of thousands of people it makes it worse.
Mlive is reporting on Fiat Chrysler’s ex-vice president of employee relations who actually had very good relations with several of the lead United Auto Workers (UAW) contract negotiators.
Alphons Iacobelli, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring to commit violations of the Labor Management Relations Act when he admitted to bribing the UAW official:
to obtain benefits, concessions, and advantages, for the company in the negotiation, implementation, and administration of the collective bargaining agreements.
How much did he pay out in bribes, he said $1.5 million. Who did they bribe? UAW Vice President General Holiefield and UAW Assistant Director Virdell King, and others, all received the bribes offered by Iacobelli.
What did this UAW officials receive, well according to Iacobelli:
The illegal payments included paying off the mortgage on Holiefield's home, first-class airline travel, designer clothing, furniture, jewelry and custom-made watches…The expenditure included charges for 'ultra-premium' liquor, more than $7,000 worth of cigars and more than $3,000 worth of wine with custom labels in honor of that UAW official.
Iacobelli could receive up to 8 years in prison.
The UAW members possibly received a contract that was below what they might have received because the people who proclaim to work for them were actually working for their employer.
So what do you union members do? Do not believe everything your union bosses tell you whether it comes down to a contract and their "special bargaining convention" or politics.