Union executives replace Rodrigues

By Treena Shapiro
Advertiser Staff Writer

The United Public Workers union's executive board this afternoon announced that it has replaced Gary Rodrigues as the head of the organization by appointing Dwight Takeno as the interim state director.

The board annouced that Rodrigues had resigned. It met today to carry out the "enormous task" of replacing Rodrigues, according to Robert Mielke, a member of the executive board.

The board's actions follows the UPW's parent organization's decision suspending Rodrigues as state director as a result of a federal jury's verdict finding him guilty of 100 charges inlcuding mail fraud, money laundering and embezzlement.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees International Union suspended Rodrigues on Thursday.

Rodrigues, once one of Hawai'i's most influencial labor leaders, held the state director's position as head of the 12,000-member union for 21 years.

Rodrigues was not available for comment.

More details to come.