Four more Teamster officials have been suspended for corruption charges, bringing the total of officials suspended to 14 of the 18 Western officials charged last summer by the Teamster Independent Investigations Officer (IIO). Four cases are still pending.
This report updates our February report, which is available here and appears in Teamster Voice #312.
These reports on TDU.org are the only place where the corruption decisions are available to Teamster members.
On March 1, Judge Barbara S. Jones, who serves as the Teamster Independent Review Officer (IRO) in corruption cases, approved four settlements made by the IBT with the four charged officers.
Dave Hawley’s settlement of his case is a five-year suspension. Hawley served as the president of Local 137 in Redding California, and was the “stand-in” for Rome Aloise as head of Northern California Joint Council 7 during Aloise’s two year suspension from the union during 2018 and 2019. He was charged with secretly taking instructions from Aloise during the suspension and then lying about it during the investigation. He will now be retired from the Teamsters Union.
Carlos Borba’s settlement is for a two-month suspension. Borba serves as the vice president of Martinez, California Local 315. Borba may be near to retirement himself.
Peter Nuñez made a settlement for a two-month suspension. Nuñez retired last fall as president of Fresno, California Local 431. He ran on the Vairma-Herrera slate in 2021.
Mark Gleason made a settlement with the IBT for a two-month suspension. Gleason is no longer a Teamster official, but works for a lobbying firm that does some work for Teamster affiliates.
Other Cases – Rabinowitz Case Still Pending
There are four other cases still pending in California.
The IBT made a proposed settlement with Jason Rabinowitz, but the IIO has appealed to Judge Jones to impose a stiffer penalty. Judge Jones is still considering that matter. Rabinowitz heads California Local 2010, and only recently stepped down as the President of Joint Council 7, a position formerly held by Rome Aloise. Rabinowitz ran on the Vairma-Herrera Slate in 2021. Judge Jones is similarly considering the settlement agreement with Doug Bloch, who is now retired as the political director of Joint Council 7, and now works as a consultant.
The IBT hearing panel issued a one-year suspension to Steve Beck, who is the secretary treasurer of Local 853, for working with Rome Aloise during Aloise’s suspension. Beck was a relatively new BA at that time. Judge Jones is now reviewing the decision of the IBT hearing panel, with briefs due on April 24.
The IBT hearing panel also issued a one-year suspension to Stu Helfer, a Local 853 BA, on similar charges. Judge Jones is also reviewing that decision.
John Scearcy, the suspended former principal officer of Seattle Local 117, who ran on the Vairma-Herrera slate in 2021, has posted on social media that he has moved on to work for a United Food and Commercial Workers local union.
For More Information
This updates our February report, which is available here.
You can read reports on the various charges and find links to the detailed documentation of the charges here and here.
The November 28, 2023 report of the IIO and IRO can be read here.
The Teamster anti-corruption program, including the IIO and the IRO, is part of the Final Consent Order and is a permanent part of our IBT Constitution at Article 19, Section 14.
