The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is asking a federal judge to void the April 27, 2009, election of officers conducted by United Steelworkers Local 1014—representing members at U.S. Steel Gary Works—and order a new election.

DOL filed suit on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana, alleging that both incumbents and incumbents’ supporters violated labor law by conducting campaign fundraising activities while on the job.

Local 1014 President Jerry Littles was re-elected in that election. Other seats filled in the election were those of vice-president, recording secretary, treasurer, guide, inner guard, and trustee.

According to the lawsuit, DOL responded to complaints filed separately by two Local 1014 members—Joseph Jarzabkowski and Rodney Basiak—after their protest of the election was denied on May 18 by the membership at a regularly scheduled membership meeting and their appeal of that decision was subsequently denied by the USW International Executive Board.

Jarzabkowski and Basiak then filed their complaints with DOL, whose investigators found evidence of two violations of labor law, the lawsuit states:

•That members of the incumbent slate or their supporters “conducted campaign fundraising activities during times when they were being paid by the employer, thus using the employer’s resources to promote the candidacy of the incumbent slate.”

•And that “the incumbent slate used the employer’s facility to conduct fundraising activity,” again using the employer’s resources to promote the slate’s candidacy.

DOL stated in the lawsuit that these alleged violations “may have affected the outcome” of the election.

The lawsuit is seeking the nullification of the April 27, 2009, election and an order directing Local 1014 to hold a new election under DOL supervision.

Posted 2/24/2010