Challengers Say Incumbents Got Illegal Aid

TONY UTANO: Saw 'unlawful contributions.'

The Take Back Our Union slate of Transport Workers Union Local 100 has filed an election complaint alleging that the incumbent United Invincible slate received in-kind donations from both the union and the Health Insurance Plan of Greater New York.

Power Division rep Tony Utano, who is running with TBOU for vice president of the union's Maintenance of Way Division, said he went to the union's Upper West Side headquarters April 13 to obtain election petitions from the union's election committee, and witnessed people distributing UI campaign t-shirts and buttons along with blue bags with HIP logos.

'Unlawful Donation of Resources'

"The use of the union's hall, its table and its personnel to receive and then distribute these materials also constitutes an in-kind and unlawful contribution of union resources to the UI campaign," Mr. Utano said in an affidavit later the same day. "If they were 'on the clock' at the time, the use of paid union staff and officers to distribute and receive these campaign materials is also an unlawful dona- tion of union resources to the UI's campaign."

Mr. Utano said in his affidavit that James Mitchell, the election committee chair, was in the room when this was happening, and that when Mr. Utano alerted him to the distribution of materials, he responded, "I don't see nothing."