Union for Sale

Shortly after the alleged Barclay Street incident took place, however, both Taylor and Hill appeared at a Local 983 meeting with a plan to accelerate progress in wage negotiations. "They tell us about the idea to hire Klein," recalled the member. "They thought this guy was going to ride in on a white horse. He was the man to get." Members still haven't gotten a raise after nine years.

'Local autonomy'

Whenever election fraud or corruption charges soil a DC 37 local, Stanley Hill invokes the doctrine of "local autonomy," meaning, "We're not responsible." The pattern of Hill's indifference shows that "local autonomy" means independence only from the local's members, who seem increasingly unwilling to forgive the actions of their leadership. After all, forgiveness comes a lot easier from the perspective of the six-figure socialists at play on Waikiki beach than from the members who work in their boiler rooms in August, without a raise for nearly a decade, and who must pay their leaders' salaries.

Part Two: Dissent in DC37. Is this Stanley Hill's last lu'au?

This is the second of a two-part series.

Read part one: Union for Sale.
Read part two: The Storm at DC 37.