Feud Puts Union Into Receivership Labor Leaders Blame Crisis On Long-Simmering Dispute

The takeover of the largest union at Kaiser Aluminum Corp.’s Mead smelter was triggered by charges that the president of United Steelworkers of America Local 329 misappropriated union dues and used abusive language toward fellow members.

Local 329, an organization of 1,000 workers who operate Kaiser pot lines, on Monday was placed in receivership by the Steelworkers international, which oversees local chapters.

The international removed all 11 officers and appointed sub-district director Paul Glavin as administrator. In addition, the international appointed head union steward Steve Sims to temporarily oversee day-to-day operations of Local 329.

The receivership of Local 329 came after members gave a vote of no confidence to president Jerry Miller and found him guilty of using abusive language. By a 25-to-24 vote, members attending a Dec. 13 meeting ousted Miller, ending his 18-month term in office. Miller said he plans to appeal the charge.

Miller, however, was found not guilty by a union trial committee of a more serious charge of misappropriating dues for personal gain.

“I don’t lean on people too much,” Miller said Wednesday. “This is just a big pissing match.”

The dispute, Miller said, was between himself and Sims. Miller claimed it was Sims who overspent union dues. When Sims was challenged to document lunch and travel vouchers, Sims brought the fraud and abusive language charges, Miller said.

Although not a union officer, Sims is chairman of the union’s grievance committee and a liaison between the rank-and-file and union officers.

“It’s absolutely not a pissing match between me and Mr. Miller,” Sims said. “If they (Miller and the officers) could have shown I was out hunting and fishing on the job, that would have been one thing. But they never did.

“You can’t spend, spend and spend money as they did and check back months later to see what you got left. They had the membership at risk.”

Miller said Local 329 was about $2,700 in the hole last summer when the international began to get alarmed. Miller said he began questioning certain expenses and suggested that union officials such as himself and Sims return to work full time at Kaiser to save the union money. The union typically picks up the tab for days that officers and stewards conduct union business.

Miller said the schism has been building since the Steelworkers’ strike against Kaiser in February.

Miller at that time went against the international’s recommendation to accept a new labor contract. Lead by Local 329’s opposition, 3,000 Steelworkers at five different Kaiser plants nationwide went on strike for eight days.

“Yes, there’s been animosity,” Miller said.

, DataTimes