Selection of Rodrigues’ Critics of Gary Rodrigues said his choice of Dwight Takeno to succeed him as state director should be nullified because Rodrigues was removed as the United Public Workers' state director after he was suspended by the UPW's parent union.
UPW successor
draws fire
Rodrigues leaves UPW torn
By Leila Fujimori
lfujimori@starbulletin.com"Gary defied the suspension, and we have to try and get that re-enforced," said Keith Faufata, a UPW unit chairman.
Rodrigues had no right to hold a union board meeting yesterday, in which board members unanimously selected a successor, Faufata said.
The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees' Thursday suspension followed Rodrigues' fraud conviction Tuesday.
Faufata was one of three former UPW chief stewards, along with Keith Chudzik and Angel Santiago-Cruz, who brought Rodrigues to a union trial in 1999 on charges he refused to disclose union records of several questionable financial transactions. The union trial exonerated Rodrigues.
"I think the (UPW) board is being used by Gary, for Gary and against the membership," Chudzik said. "The thing worked out perfectly for Gary. He was able to secure his pension and appoint his successor."
Because UPW President George Yasumoto is next in line, he should have succeeded Rodrigues, Faufata said.
Santiago-Cruz said Rodrigues' picking Takeno as UPW state director was wrong.
"There's just no end to his arrogance," he said. "I believe that our parent union should intervene because that's not the wish of the membership.
"We'll wait to see what the membership really wants," Santiago-Cruz said. "I know for a fact, it's not going to be Dwight."
Chudzik said: "I think if you talk to most of the membership, they're glad he's out. Unfortunately, Gary is such a vindictive person, none of them will speak out ... because they're afraid."
But Chudzik also noted that the UPW membership is unable to vote for the state director, which is done by delegates, essentially appointed by Rodrigues.
