Carpenters union seeking nearly $20M in unpaid benefits: lawyer

By BRUCE GOLDING

Contractors who were allowed to stiff the carpenters union for nearly $20 million in benefit payments may get slapped with civil suits within the next 60 days, a lawyer said today.

Raymond McGuire, who represents the trustees of the benefit funds, told the judge overseeing the long-corrupt labor organization that "we are exploring various options" to recover the unpaid dough.

McGuire noted that the union recently obtained a $3.9 million restitution order against coke-snorting former leader Michael Forde, who pocketed huge bribes to let contractors skate on their contractual obligations.

But McGuire said Forde -- currently serving an 11-year prison stretch for corruption -- would likely be able to pay only a "small fraction" of his debt.

Also during the Manhattan federal court hearing, veteran carpenter Gene Clarke of The Bronx blasted the union's parent, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, for ignoring Forde's obvious drug use during his leadership.

Clarke further expressed outrage that former union head Paschal McGuinness -- ousted over his reputed ties to the Genovese organized-crime family -- was "sitting on the podium" at last year's annual convention in Las Vegas.

The UBC didn't return a call for comment.