Buffao feeding at a state park in South Dakota.
The U.S. Attorney has released the following press release about the indictment of Bill Dugan, long-time president of Local 150 of the Operating Engineers.
The Operating Engineers are the only Chicago-area union that tends to side with the Republican Party (see local GOP contributions), although they also contribute to Democrats like State Rep. Jack Franks (D-Marengo).
Locally union members have lobbied vigorously in favor of video gambling as a way to finance public works projects.
The charge, as I read it, amounts to a South Elgin extortion of $900 worth of concrete buffalo feeders from company whose workers were represented by his union local.
The charge is a misdemeanor under Federal labor law.
RETIRED HEAD OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL 150 CHARGED WITH
ILLEGALLY OBTAINING FEEDER FOR HIS MARYLAND BUFFALO FARM
CHICAGO — The retired leader of a regional labor union local was charged today with violating federal labor law by allegedly demanding and accepting livestock feeders from a company that employed the union local’s workers for his buffalo farm in Maryland.
The defendant, William E. Dugan, was charged in a single-count criminal information filed in U.S. District Court, announced Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; James Vanderberg, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General in Chicago; and Robert D. Grant, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Dugan, 76, of Hancock, Md., and formerly of Mt. Prospect, was president and business manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, headquartered in Countryside. The 23,000-member local represents workers in construction and a variety of other industries in Indiana, Illinois and Iowa.
Dugan will be ordered to appear for arraignment on the misdemeanor charge, which is violation of the U.S. Labor-Management Relations Act, at a later date in U.S. District Court.
According to the charges, in April 2005, Dugan demanded and accepted concrete buffalo feeders valued at more than $900 from Company A, whose workers were represented by Local 150.
The government is being represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick King. Other Labor Department branches that participated in the investigation are the Employee Benefits Security Administration and the Office of Labor Management Standards.
The labor law violation carries a maximum penalty of a year in prison and a $100,000 fine. If convicted, the Court would determine a reasonable sentence to be imposed under the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The public is reminded that an information contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Fitzgerald raided the guy’s house in Maryland and led a three-year investigation over $900 in buffalo feeders? Now thats a good use of our tax dollars! Get that bum out.
For over 3 long years thousands of members have waited for what everyone thought was the obvious. Dugan would go to jail. Should go to jail. He abused his position and authority. For years he took thousands and thousands of dollars from staff members for a cash fund that on one saw and spent but him. He claims it was voluntary, but when you missed a payment his secretary was on the phone pronto wanting you to make sure you came to countryside and pay your $100 to da boss. And where did all those crown vics end up that were supposedly traded in. How did that track loader get to Maryland? And what was it doing there for months with plenty of hours on the hour meter when it got back to Illinois. How many projects came out of the shop from the training site and ended up in maryland? And what about all the corn that for years was taken to his buffalo farm in maryland with training site personell and equipment, oh yea he said he paid it back, maybe he did, but only after years and years of doing it. He only paid because he got caught. Well what about the smoke eaters that went from countryside to his tavern in Hancock Maryland, I suppose he bought those, even though they rightfully belong to the membership. The fact of the matter is he used his power and authority to do what he damm well pleased with the assets of Local 150, the tragedy is he only was charged with demanding and getting a god damn buffalo feeder from a contractor. The funniest part of this horror story is that the dumb ass BA’s will end up paying his lawyers fees and his fines from the Dugan defense fund they are forced to pay, while he laughs all the way back to Hancock Maryland. What a tragedy, indeed. This is the guy that fat hog Chicago Fed President Dennis Gannon said was the greatest labor leader in Chicago, well I hate to tell you Dennis, a great labor leader gives all to the membership, and takes nothing, but then how could you possibly know. Dugan belongs in jail.
My family has known Bill Dugan for decades and always found him to be a stand up guy. I’m sorry somebody did something to your corn flakes that made them inedible, but you sound like you are really stomping the sour grapes. These comments did not come from THE Mike Quigley, did they?
Union 150 is one of the most crooked, unethical, double sided, money hungry, power seeking unions. They are nothing but better organized thugs. These organizations don’t get that way without leaders who represent those qualities. You need to do some research on the civil cases brought to trial against 150. It’s appalling. Hordes of their members still ravage candidate’s signs who oppose them, run local business leaders off the road who oppose them and work ruthlessly to divide the Republican party. They hope they can someday run the local Republican party as the other unions run the democrat party throughout much of America. I’m with Quigley, down with Dugan. I hope they dig deeper and get him on some racketeering charges.
living: Don’t you think Pat Fitzgerald, the most thorough U.S. attorney out there, did that research? Don’t you think that if it could be proven that he would not have used the hammer of his office on them the same way that he has on others? Sorry, not a union guy myself, but my family is three generation 150 and they have not run people off the road, torn down signs, made threatening calls or growled at little old ladies on street corners. Nor have they been asked to.
Paul you live in a fantasy world.
Something recent…. Stalking, Intimidation, etc. (It’s a PDF of the complaint) http://www.mediafire.com/?yjzmgcztjim
living: Ask Scooter Libby about Pat Fitzgerald. Hey, I’m not saying there aren’t union thugs aren’t there and 150 is not immune to it either, I’m sure. But before you paint with such broad brushes, examine the canvas. My family is as opinionated as they come and support their local. No way have they ever been asked to pull the things you guys allege. I would know. Does that mean other guys haven’t? No. But don’t denigrate everybody, people will think you’re from Grafton Township.
IF YOU BELIVE THE “BOYS” YOU ARE AN IDIOT DUGAN IS A LIAR,THIEF,REDNECK BIGGOT THAT IS GOING TO GET AWAY WITH IT & THE MEMBERS HAVE TO PAY HIS RETIREMENT “BS” HANG THE “SOB” & VOTE FOR ALL NEW OFFICERS WAKE UP AND SEE AL THE OTHER THIEVES IN OUR LOCAL 150 DON’T VOTE AND WATCH YOUR PENSION GO TO “DUGAN THE SAVOR”
ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS THAT OUR PENSION IS ONE OF THE STRONGEST IN THE COUNTRY, OUR HEALTH AND WELFARE IS HEALTHY AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MR. DUGAN FOR NOT LETTING “CONTRACTOR JOE” GET HIS HANDS ON THE REINS OF THIS LOCAL. YOU KNOW AS WELL AS I DO IF JOEY KEPT ALL THE PROMISES HE MADE DURING THE ELECTION WE WOULD ALL BE BUSINESS AGENTS.