Posted on: Tuesday, June 4, 2002

Unions pay their bosses well

Advertiser Staff and News Services

WASHINGTON — For the first time yesterday, the Labor Department posted union financial reports on the Internet, widening access to the salaries of top union leaders, including many in Hawai'i.

The Associated Press examined the latest reports posted by the government for 10 labor groups, including the labor federation AFL-CIO. All paid their presidents six-figure sala-ries.

American Federation of Teachers president Sandra Feldman was paid $337,282 in 2000, according to union financial records. Her salary jumped to $523,090 when allowances and business expenses were added. The union counted 706,973 members that year.

Compensation for leaders of some of Hawai'i's largest unions lagged far behind Feldman's pay. Still, several Island labor leaders recently pulled down salaries in the low six figures, according to the reports.

Ronald Taketa, financial secretary of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, Local 745, had a salary of $175,110 in the 12-month period of July 1, 2000 to June 30, 2001. With an additional $8,532 in business expenses, Taketa received $183,642. The carpenters union had 5,124 members during that time, union financial records show.

Thomas Fujikawa, financial secretary and business manager with the Electrical Workers IBEW AFL-CIO, Local 1186, had a gross salary of $128,242 and another $9,942 in business expenses in calendar year 2000. Local 1186 had 2,450 members that year.

Benjamin Saguibo, business manager, secretary and treasurer for the Laborers AFL-CIO, Local 368, had a salary of $116,283 in calendar year 2000, with another $6,289 in business expenses. The laborers had 3,500 members that year, their annual report shows.

Gary Rodrigues, state director of the United Public Workers, Local 646, had a salary of $113,006 in 2000, with another $2,353 in business expenses, union records show. The union had 15,517 members that year.

Melvin Kahele, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 996, the Hawaii Teamsters & Allied Workers Union, had a salary of $84,000 in 2000, with another $2,634 in business expenses, the union's annual report shows. The Teamsters had 5,635 members in the Islands that year.

At Local 5 of the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union, AFL-CIO, President Orlando Soriano earned $70,200 and Financial Secretary/Treasurer Eric Gill earned $60,450 in 2000, according to the union's annual report. Gill came into office in April of that year, following an election. The local had 10,734 members in 2000, the financial report shows.

Annual reports for the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, Local 142, and the Hawaii Nurses Association, were not accessible.

Unions are required to file financial reports annually with the Labor Department. That information, including union bylaws and constitutions, always has been available to the public but access required a trip to a public disclosure room in the agency or at one of its field offices and payment of a fee for copies.

The Bush administration has made available online financial reports for 2000 and later, which are free, searchable by union name, file number, affiliation or location. Users also can conduct searches for union officers and employees. Reports filed before 2000 are available at the Labor Department's Office of Labor-Management Standards.

Among other statistics, the International Association of Fire Fighters, with 241,933 members, paid then-president Alfred Whitehead $166,887 in 2000. That increased to $291,307 when business disbursements were added. Current President Harold Schaitberger, who took office in August 2000, was paid $15,172 for his partial term, increased to $21,316 with business disbursements.

Union presidents' salaries may seem high compared with what their rank-and-file members make, but a better barometer is the pay of corporate executives, said Teamsters' spokesman Bret Caldwell.

"There's just no comparison," Caldwell said. "Corporate salaries are so bloated that they're beyond reason."

Teamsters President James P. Hoffa was paid $228,713 in 2000. Allowances and disbursements increased the figure to $262,200. The Teamsters reported 1.4 million members.

That compares with the $1.1 million base salary that the former chairman and chief executive of United Parcel Service was paid in 2001 before retirement. The Teamsters are negotiating with UPS for a new contract. James P. Kelly, who retired from UPS in January, also was paid $462,600 in bonuses and $53,967 in other compensation.

The president of the Air Line Pilots Association ranked second in salary to the teachers' union among the 10 labor organizations that the Associated Press surveyed. President Duane Woerth was paid $313,392 in 2000. His salary jumped to $425,090 with allowances and disbursements. ALPA reported 49,224 members.

The president of the AFL-CIO, which has 66 affiliate unions with 13.2 million members, was paid $225,000 in 2000. John Sweeney's salary increased to $279,826 with disbursements.

The largest union in the AFL-CIO, the Service Employees International Union with 1.8 million members, paid its president $190,561 in 2000. President Andrew Stern's salary increased to $241,589 with allowances and disbursements.

In other unions:

• Morton Bahr, president of the Communications Workers of America with 617,881 members, was paid $155,597 in 2000, or $179,267 with extras.

• The American Postal Workers, with 312,487 members in 2000, paid then-president Moe Biller $130,988, or $142,038 with business expenses. Current president Bill Burrus, who served as vice president in 2000, was paid $114,061 that year, or $116,848 with business disbursements.

• On the Web:
Labor Department: www.union-reports.dol.gov