McCarron Brothers Battle Over the Future of the Carpenters Union

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) October 08, 2013 -- On Friday, October 4, 2013, Mike McCarron and two other members of the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters (SWRCC) filed suit, in Federal Court in the Central District of California [Case no. SACV13-1559 JVS ANX; 8-13CV1559 JVS ANX] against the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC) seeking to overturn a trusteeship imposed upon the SWRCC and Carpenters Local 1506. The suit also names as defendants, Mike’s brother Doug McCarron, the UBC’s General President, Douglas Banes, the UBC’s General Vice President, and Michael Draper, a UBC District Vice President who has been appointed as Trustee of the SWRCC. Today, Mike McCarron and the two other members filed an ex parte application for a Temporary Restraining Order and a Preliminary Injunction dissolving the trusteeship and staying any further trusteeship proceeding.

According to court documents Mike McCarron is the elected Executive Secretary-Treasurer (EST) of the SWRCC. His brother Doug McCarron is the General President of the UBC. The court documents claim the brothers are embroiled in a bitter personal dispute. The complaint alleges Doug McCarron is abusing his position as General President to gain leverage over Mike and push him out of the union. On July 22, 2013, Doug allegedly caused the UBC to impose an improper emergency trusteeship on the SWRCC, effectively removing Mike from his elected position, and has even allegedly placed a de facto trusteeship over their home local, Local 1506. The complaint filed in this matter alleges that the trusteeship violates the UBC Constitution and the provisions of the Labor Management Relations Disclosure Act (LMRDA).

The court documents further allege the dispute between Doug and Mike erupted in December 2011, over a $66,000.00 raise to Doug’s girlfriend. Relations were further strained when Mike found out that Doug was collecting his Southern California Carpenter pension in spite of UBC summary pension plan rules to the contrary. The situation completely deteriorated after the death of their mother on May 21, 2013. According to declarations filed in Federal Court, Mike is a trustee to his late mother’s estate and this fact infuriated Doug, because he had no control over the estate and Mike did not want to liquidate it as Doug demanded.

According to the SWRCC’s LM-2, a financial report filed with the Department of Labor, the SWRCC has approximately 65,000 members and $250,000,000.00 in assets. It is one of the largest Regional Councils in terms of membership and is the most profitable Regional Council in the Carpenters Union. According to Mike McCarron’s declaration the SWRCC has operated and expanded under his direction since his election to its top post in 1999.

Michelle McCarron, [email protected], http://www.standwithmike.org, +1 8182168796, [email protected]