September 22, 2006

Labour

Tony Dionisio retiring from Local 183

IAN HARVEY

correspondent

Saying it’s time to defuse the personality conflict swirling around Universal Workers Union Local 183, ousted boss Tony Dionisio is quitting the organization he forged into a powerhouse.

“I’m retiring because I hope that by stepping aside it will allow the Labourer’s International Union of North America and the Ontario Labour Relations Board to speed up the process of holding a democratic vote and orderly election so that the members can have their wishes expressed,” he told Daily Commercial News.

Local 183 has been in trusteeship since last June following an OLRB ruling which upheld two previous LIUNA findings of misappropriation of funds and other mismanagement. Internal charges are still pending against Dionisio and six of his executive in connection with $5 million the parent union says was “illegally segregated”. The funds were placed in their lawyer’s trust and returned when the LIUNA-appointed trustee asked.

Dionisio and his executive have fought the allegations tooth and nail, but have lost at almost every turn, culminating in the Sept. 11 LIUNA national convention where incumbent vice president and general manager of Canada Joseph Mancinelli was acclaimed to another five year term.

Tony Dionisio

“The past four years have been straining for me and my family,” Dionisio said. “I owe them some quality time. By stepping aside, I hope the members will see past the lies and innuendo being spread about me to realize their Local is under attack and control by LIUNA in Washington.”

“The internal charges have nothing to do with personalities,” rebutted LIUNA legal counsel Daniel Randazzo. “Our only concern was to remove a regime under Dionisio which had lost touch with the membership and was operating the Local as their own personal vehicle of power.”

No date for elections have been set, said Randazzo.

He said it’s unclear whether Dionisio has rescinded his membership or simply retired from active duty, meaning the internal allegations still need to be dealt with.

Dionisio has long maintained that the core issue in the battle for control of Local 183 was the threat it posed to Mancinelli’s position and that the imposition of trusteeship was a mechanism to prevent delegates dominated by the Dionisio loyalists from nominating and electing a challenger at the convention.

“I have no idea what I’m going to do,” said Dionisio. “Local 183 has been a big part of my life, 29 years, that’s not 29 days. I know my wife doesn’t want me hanging around the house all day. I’ve been doing some volunteer work and I will continue to lobby for democracy at Local 183, but I’m open to suggestions and recommendations right now.”

Taking a break from the hectic pace of running a Local with 30,000 members which meant working most weekends will be a pleasant change, he added.

While the process of negotiations with employers’ associations is expected to begin this fall, Dionisio doesn’t think the controversy surrounding the Local will have much effect.

“No, I hope not and it shouldn’t,” he said, noting the usual drill is to hold meetings starting in November with each sector, gather input, elect committees and put forward proposals. “There’s binding arbitration and a no strike clause and it’s a good process and it works.”

He joined the Local in 1969 and in 1996, was elected president of what was then an 11,000-member Local. It has since grown to more than 30,000 and Dionisio said he was proud of his accomplishments, especially the pension plan, which he says was strengthened and salvaged from collapse in the late 1990s by a 10-cent an hour wage levy. He said the fund is now a great asset and allows workers to retire with dignity.

Other benefits such as life insurance, medical, dental and chronic illness were increased during his tenure, he said.

“I’m proud of all the people I’ve worked with throughout the years who have stood by me and our members thick and thin. I believe Local 183 is the greatest workforce in the world.

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