Federal suit seeks new vote for officers in Local 150

Election irregularities should force one of the largest unions in the country to hold a new vote, according to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court by the Department of Labor.

Local 150 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, based in Countryside, has about 20,000 members, according to the group's Internet site.

Members of the local, which serves northern Illinois and parts of Iowa and Indiana, include operators of heavy construction equipment. The local is considered powerful because a strike can shut down large projects such as roads and office buildings.

James Sweeney, president and business manager of the local, said that after an extensive investigation, the U.S. Labor Department sued over two minor infractions for the August, 2007, election.

The lawsuit says that employer funds and union funds were used to promote the incumbent's slate.

Sweeney said the charge about employer funds referred to his slate's being late paying for coffee and doughnuts for a rally. He said the invoice for the refreshments came in late despite repeated requests from the slate.

He said on the union's Web site that the other item involved the Department of Labor's charge that the union did not request a large enough deposit for sending out election materials for candidates. He said the disputed amount was $825.

Craig A. Oswald, assistant U.S. attorney, said his only comment is that the union's claim of exoneration after the Department of Labor's investigation is not accurate, and lawsuits dealing with union elections are not rare.

A spokesman for the Department of Labor said the staff does not comment on pending lawsuits.

Sweeney said the local holds an election every three years, with the next scheduled cycle starting in December 2009. He would welcome Labor Department oversight of that process, he said.