Fed Review Board Alleges NE Teamster Boss Violated Federal Order

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

GoLocalWorcester News Team

William Webster, the 3rd FBI head in U.S. History, is part of the Independent Review Board alleging New England Teamster boss Sean O'Brien's threats to opposition members constitute a breach of federal order.

The former head of the FBI and current head of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, along with a former United States Attorney General, are calling for a review by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) of New England Teamsters' leader Sean O'Brien for threatening to retaliate against union members opposed to the current Local 251 leadership slate in upcoming union elections in Rhode Island.

O'Brien, in footage obtained by GoLocal, can been seen addressing a crowd of supporters regarding the reform group Teamsters for a Democratic Union, who he addresses as the competition for upcoming elections in Local 251 in Rhode Island. "They need to be punished, held accountable for their actions," says O'Brien.

See Video of O'Brien Threatening Opposition to Local 251 Leadership HERE

The Independent Review Board, which includes William Hedgcock Webster, Benjamin Richard Civiletti, and Joseph diGenova (see bios below), has issued a letter to the IBT General Executive Board to rule on the actions of O'Brien, the President of Teamsters Joint Council 10 along with Teamsters Local 25 in Massachuesetts -- which they say appear to be in violation of federal labor law.

Read Letter HERE

Teamsters Local 25 President Sean O'Brien

In the letter, sent by IRB Administrator John J. Cronin, it states, "The Independent Review Board refers the below report to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters General Executive Board and recommends that a charge be filed against Sean O'Brien, an International Vice President, for bringing reproach upon the IBT and threatening to retaliate against IBT members for exercising rights protected under federal labor law and the IBT Constitution, including the rights to seek election to office and support the candidate of one's choice."

The letter continues, "By his actions, it appears that, while an officer of the IBT and Joint Council 10, O'Brien violated Article II...of the IBT Constitution by threatening to retaliate against IBT members for exercising rights protected under federal labor law and the IBT Constitution."

In the video, O'Brien calls out specifically the reform group Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU). Nick Williams, campaign manager for the Local 251 opposition slate United Action in Rhode Island, said that a number of United Action members are TDU members as well.

"This is a slap in the face of democracy," said Williams, of the threats by O'Brien.

Review Board Established to Monitor Corruption -- and Control

The Independent Review Board ("IRB"), and its predecessor, the Independent Administrator ("IA"), was established pursuant to a Consent Decree entered into between the United States Government and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters ("IBT") in 1989 to "investigate and take appropriate action with respect to "any allegations of corruption," "any allegations of domination or control or influence" of any part of the Union by organized crime, and any failure to cooperate fully with the IRB."

The IRB has called the General Executive Board of the IBT to review the case, and within 90 days send their finding back to the IRB for review.

Review Board Members

Benjamin Richard Civiletti served as the United States Attorney General during the Carter administration, from 1979 to 1981. Civiletti is one of the three members of the IRB), which the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union must answer to when allegations of corruption or organized crime infiltration surface under the terms consent decree issued by a federal district court judgment.

William Hedgcock Webster is the current Chairman of the Homeland Security Advisory Council. Previously Webster was the third Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1978 to 1987 and Director of Central Intelligence from 1987 to 1991.

Joseph diGenova in 1997 was named Special Counsel by the U.S. House of Representatives to probe the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. As a result of that assignment, he was appointed by the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, to sit on the Independent Review Board. He is on that Board with former FBI and CIA Director William Webster and former U.S. Attorney General Benjamin Civiletti. In 2007, diGenova was retained by the New York State Senate to investigate then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer in the Troopergate matter.

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