Court Won't Block Removal of CWA N.J. Union Head

Carla Katz, the former head of Communications Workers of America Local 1034, New Jersey's biggest civil service union, has been denied a temporary restraining order against the CWA to counter her removal from office on July 7.

CARLA KATZ: Deposed by national CWA.

Ms. Katz, who was accused of financial malpractice, misappropriation of funds and suppression of dissent, was looking to block national CWA officials from taking over the local. A Federal court rejected the application for a restraining order on July 16, allowing for a Temporary Administrator to be appointed.

'Acted Based on Constitution'

"[This] ruling affirms that the CWA national executive board acted in accordance with the union's constitution," said CWA spokesperson Bob Master in a statement after the ruling. "The best interests of Local 1034's members would be served by appointing a Temporary Administrator to safeguard their dues money and protect their democratic rights."

Bill Henning, a peer of Ms. Katz's who is a vice president of CWA Local 1180 representing city administrative workers, said that it was clear the allegations against her were not specious. "I really believe that the CWA is probably on firm ground doing this," he said. "Anytime there's an allegation of thwarting the democratic will of members, it deserves to be taken seriously." He went on to note that the CWA has "one of the more difficult processes" for removing someone from office, making it unlikely that such a move could occur without legitimate evidence.

But Richard Wagner, the former president of CWA Local 1183 that represents Board of Elections staff, said he was surprised at Ms. Katz's ouster, noting that "it's highly unusual for a local to be padlocked," and that he thought of Ms. Katz as a "not-incompetent person." Mr. Wagner was president of Local 1183 for 33 years until 2005.

Involved With Corzine

Ms. Katz's ouster came as a surprise to many, as she had served as president of Local 1034 since 1999 and was known for her political connections, including her highly-publicized relationship with New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, whom she dated from 2002-2004, when he was a U.S. Senator.

Nonetheless the CWA national board voted unanimously to remove her from office, citing "an extensive internal review" that "revealed probable cause to believe that the local is engaged in ongoing financial malpractice, the misappropriation of union funds, a failure to comply with state and federal law, as well as the CWA constitution, and the suppression of dissent."

Tensions between Ms. Katz and the CWA began last year when Local 1034 split with the national union over whether to accept a new contract negotiated with the state, with Ms. Katz deciding to reject the contract. This was exacerbated by the later revelation that she had exchanged private e-mails with Governor Corzine during collective bargaining.

In May 2008, she filed a Federal lawsuit against the CWA and a list of union officials alleging that she was the victim of retaliation by the national union after this conflict. However she also had to contend with internal union charges filed by Local 1034 dissidents Jonathan Berg, Linda Kukor and Dan Antonellis, that requested a trusteeship and accused her of misappropriation and violation of bylaws. Five hundred sixty-five members of Local 1034 signed a petition supporting a trusteeship and 300 signed petitions demanding that Ms. Katz pay back funds. These charges prompted the national union to launch an internal investigation.

In a statement released on July 10, after Ms. Katz's removal, the CWA vigorously denied rumors that she had been fired for opposing the previous contract. "In the past, other locals have opposed ratification of contracts," it noted. "In fact, Local 1034 opposed ratification in 2003 as well. No temporary administrator has ever been appointed because of such opposition. Members vote and decide and their decision is respected."

The statement outlines some of the specific charges against Ms. Katz: she allegedly used union funds to pay for her own expenses, most prominently during her campaign for District One Vice President, where she apparently paid for travel and lodging expenses for her campaign staff. She is also accused of taking control of Local 1034 funds to make political contributions unilaterally, without oversight by local officers or the executive board, and with suppressing dissent by suspending an executive board member for voicing concerns about her leadership of the local.