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diverted from the Local for his “personal control”.
Officer Barry Stephens made his ruling January 5th, 2007. Dionisio’s restriction on membership barring him from holding
office and the $10,000.00 fine are effective immediately. In accordance with the OLRB's decision of June 12, 2006, the
trustees will seek the OLRB's leave to give effect to the suspension.
The ruling came after Canadian Independent Hearing Officer Stephens held several days of hearings last October and November
and reviewed requested evidence into charges that Dionisio and his former executives took $5 million from the membership and
then placed the money primarily under Dionisio’s control whether Dionisio remained with the Local or not.
Officer Stephens ruled that Dionisio and his former executives participated in “a scheme” to divide $5 million
from the Local. “It is my conclusion that the retainer document discloses on its face a clear intention to transfer
control of the $5 million from the Local and to place the money under the personal control of Mr. Dionisio and, to a lesser,
Mr. (Joao) Dias,” concluded Officer Stephens.
After repeated requests for the $5 million to be returned to the Local, Dionisio only did so after the Local 183 Trustee
filed charges against him and his former executives.
Officer Stephens also applied the following penalties to the former Local 183 executives for their participation in the
$5 million scheme:
- Joao Dias – Suspended from the membership for a period of six months from the date of the award (January 5th, 2007).
Barred from holding office of any kind, elected or appointed, in LIUNA, any LIUNA local or affiliated trust fund, and from
being employed by LIUNA, any LIUNA local or related trust fund for a period of five years from the date of the expiry of his
suspension. Fined $10,000.00
- John Cordeiro – Barred from holding office of any kind, elected or appointed, in LIUNA, any LIUNA local or affiliated
trust fund, and from being employed by LIUNA, any LIUNA local or related trust fund for a period of five years from the date
of this decision (January 5th, 2007)
- Antonio Pinto – Barred from holding office of any kind, elected or appointed, in LIUNA, any LIUNA local or affiliated
trust fund, and from being employed by LIUNA, any LIUNA local or related trust fund for a period of five years from the date
of this decision (January 5th, 2007)
- Keith Cooper – Barred from holding union office in the same terms as Cordeiro and Pinto, for a period of two years
from the date of this decision (January 5th, 2007).
- John Colacci – Charges stayed (put over) until a later date
- Rocco Di Giovanni – Settlement reached with Local 183
Officer Stephens concluded his ruling by stating, “Finally, it is my view that Mr. Dionisio and Mr. Dias bear special
responsibility, since they allowed themselves to be placed in a position to act as the individuals who would control the $5
million fund. Mr. Dionisio, in turn, was in a superior position to Mr. Dias in this regard, since he was given sole control
over the funds for so long as he was able to give directions to Mr. Shell (former legal counsel to Local 183). In my view,
their penalties should be such to send a clear message to them that their actions were unacceptable.”
QUOTES FROM THE DECISION:
"After reviewing the evidence, I have little hesitation in concluding that the charged members participated in a scheme
to divide $5 million from the local."
"One does not have to be a lawyer to understand that it is not appropriate for an outgoing union executive board to vote
itself personal control over a $5 million fund .. The impropriety of such a scheme should be obvious to any objective, reasonable
person
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The dispute turns around approximately
$5.5 million |
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%20foto%20%2041.jpg)
In the image, seizure in 2001, members of the
board of directors during an act. | Trustee of the Premises
183 presents/displays positions against ex- executives of the unionAccording to an
official notice spread by the union of Local construction 183, several positions by presumed violations to ethics codes and
internal constitutions have been presented/displayed against the ex- board of directors of the labor union. The center of
the dispute in this occasion is the return of a trust of more than $5 million and means of dollars (which already have been
given). In a conversation with the Popular one, one of the receivers assured that the new director will not move backwards
in her fight to clarify the situation. TORONTO. - The trustee (trustee) of the Universal Union
of Local Workers LIUNA 183, Rick Weiss, has presented/displayed several positions against the ex- executive meeting of the
labor union, by presumed violations under the Code of Ethical Practices Canadian of the union and the Local Uniform Constitution.
Weiss has presented/displayed the positions in his capacity of trustee of the Premises 183 in please this grouping of workers
and its members. In a letter dated the 2 of August of this year and directed to Terrence M.O'Sullivan,
general president of LIUNA (Union the International of Workers of North America, by its abbreviations in English), Weiss solicitd
that the positions were referred the Independent Office of Hearings so that this one took its pertinent determinations. The
solicitd thing in the letter to O'Sullivan was the following thing: • Instruir to the ex- executive
officials of the Premises 183 so that they went to I conciliate previous and returned, of immediate way, to the Premises the
183 all bottoms, properties and other assets retained in trust by the ex- ones I conciliate legal. •
Solicitar disciplinary actions against the previous executive meeting of the Premises 183 in which the suspension of membresía
was included and/or expulsion. • Buscar other punishments that are appropriate. All this subject is centered in approximately $5.5 million dollars that have been retained in a trust by the ex- ones
I conciliate legal of the Premises 183. When the Meeting of Labor Relations of Ontario confirmed that
the union of Local construction 183 would be put under the control of its first union, LIUNA, the past 12 of June, also was
indicated that: “All the officials and personnel of the Premises 183 would have to accept of
immediate way all the actions necessary to transfer the control and the authority of the assets from the Premises 183 to the
trustees designated according to the legal instructions”. The 13 of June of this year, I conciliate of the
Premises 183 and the trustees wrote a letter to their organ predecessor, requesting to him that he returned $5 million that
belonged to the Premises 183, as well as the accumulated interests that the ex- ones I conciliate had in trust. The 20 of
June of this same year, I conciliate again legal sent a letter demanding the money, whose total amount calculates in $5'524.010,
00. The 27 of July the legal company/signature Lenczner Slaght Royce Smith Griffin, contracted by the trustees, made a new
demand by the return of the goods. The two of August, Weiss presented/displayed the positions in his letter to O'Sullivan.
Days later, Tuesday of the last week (8 of August), the ex- ones I conciliate legal of the Premises 183 returned around $5.5
million to the union of the construction. Mr. Weiss presented/displayed positions of specific way against the following
ex- executives of the Premises 183 by supposed violations to several sections of the constitution the International of the
Union, the Uniform Constitution of the Local Union and to the Canadian Code of Ethical Practices: • John Colacci
(ex- secretary of registries). • Keith Cooper (ex- member of the executive meeting). • John Cordeiro (ex-
vice-president). • Joao Dias (ex- secretary treasurer). • Antonio Dionisio (ex- administrative manager).
• Rocco Di Giovanni (ex- member of the executive meeting). • Antonio Pinto (ex- president). Also,
Weiss has presented/displayed additional positions against Day, Dionisio and Pinto by supposed violations to several sections
of the Uniform Constitution of the Local Union. In a brief interview offered to the Popular one, Weiss explained yesterday
that the positions had been presented/displayed by the new director before previous the governing organ gave the bottom of
the trust. In addition, Weiss left very clear that she will not stop in his effort to clarify the situation in his totality,
although refused to specify if she will criminay persecute to the ex- mentioned directors lines back, explaining who is in
a moment for being able to speak of that subject. Weiss also declared to not know which are the measures that the previous
meeting will take from directors in its defense. |
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