Ex-TEA Union President Seeks to Unseat Huntley; Makes 'Uniformed Deal' An Issue

The former president of Communication Workers of America Local 1182, who lost re-election by 50 votes in early 2005, announced last week that he is throwing his hat back in the ring against current president James Huntley in a new election Nov. 19.

ROBERT CASSAR: Trying to turn the tables.

Robert Cassar criticized Mr. Huntley's acceptance of raises in the last contract equalling those given to non-uniformed city workers even though Traffic Enforcement Agents were granted uniform status in May 2005.

'A Terrible Job'

"I am running in this election because the current administration is doing a terrible job for our members," he said in a phone interview. "Their mission is to sell a bill of goods instead of going out there and working for their members."

Mr. Huntley said, "He was president for 12 years and nothing happened. If you ask the membership who is Robert Cassar, they will tell you," noting that it was after he took office that his members finally gained uniformed status.

The Bloomberg administration has contended that City Council bills granting such status to groups including TEAs and Emergency Medical Service workers do not compel it to treat them on a par with cops and firefighters at the bargaining table.

JAMES HUNTLEY: Cites felony assault bill.

Ms. Cassar said if elected he would not accept another "civilian" city contract. The former union leader believes the city owes the union retroactive increases comparable to what other uniformed unions have received because the city violated a 2005 collective bargaining law. Mr. Huntley countered that the Mayor vetoed the bill passed by the City Council and the State Supreme Court ruling in favor of the union was issued after the contract was settled. He vowed to bargain for a uniformed contract next time.

Political Fund Dispute

According to Mr. Cassar, the union has been violating its own bylaws by taking $2.50 out of every members' paycheck every two weeks in order to fund a political action committee, which he says doesn't exist. "That's a lie," retorted Mr. Huntley, who said the PAC was called Local 1182 Political Action Fund. A review of city and state records shows the Local 1182 Political Action Fund is a registered committee. He said the union used the fund in its successful campaign for a law signed earlier this year by Governor Paterson making it a felony to assault a TEA.

Mr. Cassar insisted he deserved credit for the law, which the union sought since the mid-1980s. "There is no doubt it happened under my watch," he said. "I put my life blood into it."

The former president is running with a full slate of candidates. Wilbert Castillo is running for executive vice president, Shokat Hossain for vice president (traffic) and Mohammad Haris for secretary-treasurer. In the races for borough delegates, Ronella Bolles is running in Manhattan, Robert Stokes in Brooklyn, Herbert Grennage in Queens and Tasha Bonneau in The Bronx.