By Brian KatesFederal agents probing corruption in the city's most powerful construction union seized drugs and an illegal stun gun at the group's Manhattan headquarters, the Daily News has learned.
The discovery at the District Council of Carpenters building came after the indictment of council chief Michael Forde and nine others - including two mob associates - in a $1 million bribery scheme.
Federal agents seized the drugs, said to include quantities of the highly addictive prescription painkiller OxyContin, and a stun gun while executing a search warrant Sept. 24, a union spokesman confirmed.
The illicit stash was hidden at the Labor and Technical College, a vast basement workshop at the council's 395 Hudson St. headquarters where apprentices are trained, union sources told The News.
No one was arrested.
Forde, long rumored to have thrown drug-fueled parties in the building, tested positive for cocaine and marijuana when he was arrested in August.
Seven of his nine co-defendants also tested positive for drugs. Two refused to be tested, prosecutors said.
In recent weeks, five more district council employees have been fired or suspended for failing drug tests ordered by Frank Spencer, the emergency supervisor of the International Brotherhood of Carpenters named to supervise the council.
A union leader alerted the feds to the OxyContin cache after learning of it from a council worker who failed a drug test, the spokesman said.
An Internet blog run by dissident union members said U.S. Labor Department agents removed the drugs from a compartment behind a wall.
Forde, free on $75,000 bond, was ordered to undergo 28 days of drug rehab.
The feds have been monitoring the district council, which is made up of 11 union locals, since 1994 under a decree in another racketeering case.
That has not diminished its political clout.
Since Forde took office 10years ago, the group has lavished at least $3 million on politicians and handed out eagerly sought endorsements to Hillary Clinton, Mayor Bloomberg and others.
Fire them all, is this what our dues money pays for. Why wasnt Pete's son fired?
ReplyDeleteThe article says "In recent weeks, five more district council employees have been fired or suspended for failing drug tests" I heard the five are Mo Leary, Ron Rawald, Bill lacey, Joe Firth and Joe Wing. I do not think any of them were suspended or fired, I wonder why? Is it because them are part of Fordes inner circle and are being protected?
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ReplyDelete<pre>There have been accusations that suggest that our union has been infiltrated with people who
developed severe drug problems. Under normal circumstances addiction is a private and a personal
issue. What concerns me is that this appeared to be wide spread problem among NYCDCC leadership.
It suggests that our union was being run by people who had greater urgencies than fighting
contractor abuse, non-union work, or finding you a job. If our leadership was under the influence
on "our" time, we have a problem beyond just greed.
Can you imagine a better way to blackmail leaders of a large trade union? How about inability to
make decisions? How about being preoccupied with the next fix? The list goes on in the many ways
things that can go wrong. I also think its telling by the drug of choice.
Cocaine is a party drug used by people with money. I can see young wall street traders on this shit,
but a bunch of old office carpenters? Maybe their $100,000+ salaries got to their heads? This
should give all of you INSIGHT to the how your union ran under the Forde Administration. Of course
there wasn't going to be a drug testing policy!!! It tells me that people in his inner circle
KNEW Forde was a full blown addict and partied till he was fired. You should be asking, "What
other rules were modified to fit the needs the administration?" Working long hard hours for the
sake of the members (to justify a $250,000 salary) doesn't appeared to have been his priority. The
only way I can see this not infuriating you, is if you benefited from having a dopey leader that
allowed his friends to do whatever they wanted and you either have a job or worked alot hours
because of it.
I feel like many people benefited from personally knowing that Forde had a problem. That's why his
addiction is not private or personal, he essentially put this union at risk for years and no one
cared to stopped it.
NEXT PHASE AT NYCDCC: Drug testing fall out
Who partiED?
Mike Forde (proven) fired
John Greaney (proven) fired
John Thomassen (according to 157 blogspot he shaved and waxed all body hair to avoid hair test) Fired?
James O'Reily (according to 157 blogspot he shaved and waxed all body hair to avoid hair test) Fired?
Who's Next? The following were named in different posts in Jawin:</pre>
<pre><p style="">Joe Wing, Bill Lacey, brian brennan, Zemski, Jeff Passante , Ed Maudsley, Mo Leary<p style=""> <p style=""> </pre>
<pre>
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<p>
<p> </pre>
</span>
Reposted: There have been accusations that suggest that our union has been infiltrated with people who developed severe drug problems.
ReplyDeleteUnder normal circumstances addiction is a private and a personal issue. What concerns me is that this appeared to be wide spread problem among NYCDCC leadership.
It suggests that our union was being run by people who had greater urgencies than fighting contractor abuse, non-union work, or finding you a job.
If our leadership was under the influence on "our" time, we have a problem beyond just greed.
Can you imagine a better way to blackmail leaders of a large trade union? How about inability to make decisions? How about being preoccupied with the next fix? The list goes on in the many ways things that can go wrong.
I also think its telling by the drug of choice. Cocaine is a party drug used by people with money. I can see young wall street traders on this shit, but a bunch of old office carpenters? Maybe their $100,000+ salaries got to their heads? This should give all of you INSIGHT to the how your union ran under the Forde Administration.
Of course there wasn't going to be a drug testing policy!!! It tells me that people in his inner circle KNEW Forde was a full blown addict and partied till he was fired. You should be asking, "What other rules were modified to fit the needs the administration?"
Working long hard hours for the sake of the members (to justify a $250,000 salary) doesn't appeared to have been his priority. The only way I can see this not infuriating you, is if you benefited from having a dopey leader that allowed his friends to do whatever they wanted and you either have a job or worked alot hours because of it.
I feel like many people benefited from personally knowing that Forde had a problem. That's why his addiction is not private or personal, he essentially put this union at risk for years and no one cared to stopped it.
NEXT PHASE AT NYCDCC: Drug testing fall out
Who partiED?
Mike Forde (proven) fired
John Greaney (proven) fired
John Thomassen (according to 157 blogspot he shaved and waxed all body hair to avoid hair test) Fired?
James O'Reily (according to 157 blogspot he shaved and waxed all body hair to avoid hair test) Fired?
Who's Next? The following were named in different posts in Jawin: Joe Wing, Bill Lacey, brian brennan, Zemski, Jeff Passante , Ed Maudsley, Mo Leary
<pre>it will all come out O'Dwyer will do what he has to in order to secure his 5 mil a year from council and eliminate all possible opposition from Pete and Mo the ho Leary, watch and see these filthy bastards work it, not a man amongst them.
ReplyDelete</pre>
it will all come out O'Dwyer will do what he has to in order to secure his 5 mil a year from council and eliminate all possible opposition from Pete and Mo the ho Leary, watch and see these filthy bastards work it, not a man amongst them.
ReplyDeletewishing luck to all the apprentices your future dont look so bright .that explains why when you speak to them in the school they really never cared about helping you.they where having to much fun partying.fire them all .save the UNION.they should change a lot of policies in the school instead of it being not what you no but who you no....unless you got drugs lol
ReplyDeletelisten what these fools did is atrocious,,but dont start looking into my private life..ok..im a floorguy...if i smoke pot on the weekend it is not the buisness of the district council or a reason for me to be prevented from being a steward...if i do it on the job then i see .but this is too far ..enough..its just a union! not a company
ReplyDeletelets get back to the time when you called the union for a problem..get out of my life with the control and classes and all other things like that......a union ..not my employer on the contrary I PAY YOU..LEAVE US ALONE!!!
ReplyDeleteNOW JEFF PASSANTE AND MIKE ZEMSKI GET ARRESTED FOR BEING CORRUPT. FUCK THOSE TWO CROOKED BASTARDS. THEY BOTH REMIND ME OF SPITZER. THEY BULLY PEOPLE AROUND PLAYING THE RIGHTEOUS ROLE AND THEY ARE THE TWO DIRTIEST OF THEM ALL!!!! THEY WERE OFFICIALLY ARRESTED YESTERDAY ON 4/15/2010.
ReplyDeletepassante and zemski weren't arrested...yet. But passante admitted to using credit cards for his own use. Thats what Ballantyne said at the 2287 meeting wed the 21st, from the podium. So we know thats true. what a shit trying to pretend hes clean just because the accountant found nothing and then the trustees found the credit card bills. They didn't even know the credit cards existed. No checks were ever made out so the trustees had nothing to look at. Looks like that little shit hid the bills when they came in. When will he be arrested? zemski wouldn't even talk to callahans people when asked. I wonder if hes dirty too. guess we'll find out . But when will ballantyne and spencer ax them?
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