Carpenters tell judge they're still angry union boss installed a junkie as their chief

Michael Forde, the ex-boss of the carpenter's union, put a junkie on the union payroll.

BY Scott Shifrel

A group of burly New York carpenters let a judge know Wednesday that out-of-town union bosses who installed a "junkie" as their chief should butt out of their business.

The sometimes boisterous crowd showed support for the court-appointed monitor that is overseeing the restructuring of Local 608 after years of corrupt leadership.

But they made it clear they don't think the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, headquartered in Washington, should be redrawing its bylaws.

"For more than five years we had a junkie running our union," Gene Clarke, a former local official, told Judge Richard Berman.

"Who are they [the international] now to say they are taking over? The international should stay home and clean their own mess up."

Clarke was referring to Michael Forde, the disgraced ex-head of the NYC District Council of Carpenters, who pleaded guilty to stealing union money and taking kickbacks and admitted he was a drug addict.

Forde, who came out of Local 608, was installed by the international, Clarke said.

The brotherhood has 30 days to propose a new set of bylaws. Union monitor Dennis Walsh will review them and listen to objections before they are subjected to a vote.