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Gill plans to Former hotel workers union leader Eric Gill is fighting back, saying he plans to file charges soon against several Local 5 members who continue to allege that he violated union bylaws.
counter members’
charges
The ousted Local 5 leader says
he'll show financial bungling and
document falsification
By Tim Ruel
Star-Bulletin"I'm not going to roll over for this. This is stupid," Gill said yesterday. "What they've done to me is very wrong. They have conducted a campaign of disruption to induce a trusteeship."
Gill said the charges against him, filed by members of Local 5's former executive board, are frivolous and based on false interpretations of union bylaws.
He said his charges against former board members loyal to his rival Tony Rutledge will show financial mismanagement of Local 5 and falsification of union documents, far more serious charges. Gill didn't say exactly when he would file the charges or how many he would lodge. "It'll be plenty," he said.
Gill and the board of Local 5 were removed from office earlier this week by John Wilhelm, general president of the union's parent, the Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees International, based in Washington, D.C. Wilhelm named the international's Western regional director Sherri Chiesa to run the union as a trustee.
Chiesa declined comment yesterday about the continuing battle between Gill and members of the executive board. Chiesa said her job is to bring both sides together, if possible, settle contract negotiations with hotels and run a new election for the 10,000-member union.
Gill said he is filing the charges with the international union as a way of breaking his silence. "I would prefer not to do any of this," he said.
Gill said he stood aside and supported the international's move to replace him with Chiesa, but he's grown tired of weathering attacks by Rutledge's supporters on the board. Gill unseated Rutledge last year from a 14-year run as financial secretary-treasurer, the head position of Local 5. Gill said the latest attacks are attempts to prevent him from winning the coming election, once Chiesa steps down.
Local 5's board had 12 members, about six of whom are loyal to Rutledge, according to Gill. Some of Gill's charges are ones that have already drawn controversy, such as the $200,000 to $300,000 in severance pay that Rutledge paid himself and other outgoing union staffers after Gill won the election. Gill said he also will focus on the misuse of vacation pay and loans made to the board members by Rutledge's administration that were not reported to the federal government. "They want to play, we'll play." Gill said.
"He's welcome to file the charges. We have done nothing wrong," said Arlene Ilae, senior vice president of the executive board and a supporter of Rutledge. Ilae said yesterday she and the board members will continue to stand behind their charges against Gill, which center on control over the union's finances.
For example, Gill said he should need not the board's authorization for business purchases, such as refilling Local 5's postage meter. Ilae disagrees.
"Even if it means purchasing doughnuts for a meeting, he has to come to the executive board," she said. "I know that sounds very tedious, but why wouldn't the board ever approve that?"
Gill said the bylaws are unclear about what operational expenses need to be discussed.
Ilae said the matter illustrates how Gill thinks he does not need to work with the board. She said Gill also hired a contractor to set up a security system at Local 5's Waikiki offices without board approval, violating bylaws.
Gill also faces union charges that he approved salaries for new Local 5 staffers without going to the board, Ilae said. Gill responded that he simply established salaries that were approved by the union's own contract. Gill said all the complaints against him are either specious or wrong.
No union hearing has been set on any of the charges.
Regardless, Ilae and Gill may soon be working closer together at Local 5. Trustee Chiesa said yesterday she may hire both to join her new team of staff.
Chiesa said she has not decided on specific titles or roles yet, or how many supporters of Gill or Rutledge she might hire. "Obviously, I would like to get the two sides here working together, but I'm not naive with respect to that," she said. "I don't know if it's impossible or not."
Ilae resigned as a Local 5 staffer in April after 14 years in the office, most recently serving as a senior business agent and team leader. She stepped down because Gill took office, she said. Ilae has since served as a chairwoman of membership services at Unity House, a nonprofit run by Rutledge that supports Local 5.
Ilae said she could do the job with Gill, since it helps the union. "I'm not going to come in there with gloves on my hands," she said.