Statement Regarding Recent Charges Against IBT Vice President Rome Aloise
I’m writing to you today as your Secretary-Treasurer regarding a subject some of you may be aware of, but many of you have probably never heard anything about. That subject is a report issued on February 14, 2020 detailing proposed Internal Union Charges filed by the Independent Investigations Officer (“IIO”) against Teamster International Western Region Vice President, Joint Council 7 President, and Local 853 Secretary-Treasurer Rome Aloise.
The Independent Investigations Officer role was created in the late 1980’s when our Union was embroiled in charges of corruption and racketeering. Since then, the Office has maintained its role as a watchdog against corruption in the Teamsters Union. That role is finally drawing to a close after more than thirty years, and these charges against Aloise are among the final acts of the IIO.
I am bringing your attention to these recent charges for two major reasons: first, because I believe an informed and educated membership is essential to maintaining the militancy that defines Local 174, and that means keeping our membership well informed of what is going on at the highest levels of our Union.
And secondly, I am bringing your attention to these charges because I want you to know that your Union did the right thing. As the elected leader of Teamsters Local 174 and Joint Council 28, it is my responsibility to stand for justice in the face of corruption and wrongdoing in our Union, and that is what I did.
By way of background, Aloise’s legal troubles began several years ago, and culminated in October of 2017 when he was found guilty of numerous charges by the Independent Review Officer (“IRO”). Those charges included improperly receiving items of value from employers, negotiating sham contracts without members’ involvement or approval, and engaging in reproachful conduct in connection with an election at another Teamster Local Union.
Aloise was punished with a surprisingly lenient two-year suspension that began on December 22, 2017. The suspension barred him from holding any Teamster titles or positions, receiving compensation of any kind from any Teamster entity, or serving as a paid or unpaid consultant in any capacity to any Teamster entity for a period of 24 months.
During the period of Aloise’s suspension, I heard many rumors suggesting that he was not respecting the IRO’s order. However, those rumors were just that: rumors, and as such, I left well enough alone. I did not become personally involved in Aloise’s suspension until he threatened to bring his illicit activities right to our doorstep. Please note that according to the IRO’s full report, those rumors of Aloise’s misconduct were allegedly quite true and are heavily substantiated by numerous witnesses.
In September of 2018, Joint Council 28 was preparing to host a Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Trust training for Local Union Officers, Business Agents and Staff of Western Region Participants. Aloise made it known that he intended to attend the training, which was to be held in our Union Hall, in spite of his suspension.
I immediately became concerned about Aloise’s intention to attend the conference, and questioned what that would mean for our organization if we were to welcome Aloise’s flagrant violation of his suspension from Teamster office. Such an action would have jeopardized all of us, and the powerhouse of Teamster militancy that we have built here in Washington.
Ultimately, with the support of nearly all other Principal Officers in the Joint Council, I told the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Trust leadership that if they would not prevent Aloise from attending, they could no longer utilize the facilities of our Union Hall and force us into the role of accomplices to this clear violation of the IRO’s order. By holding the training in our Union Hall, it would have subjected each JC28 Officer and Agent to becoming his enablers.
As a result of my refusal to be involved in this training, it was moved to a hotel in the area and was boycotted by most of the Joint Council 28 personnel who would have benefited from it – all because no one was willing tell Aloise “no.”
Around the same time as this discussion surrounding the pension training, Aloise also took it upon himself to bully and threaten retaliation against Local 174 Communications Director Jamie Fleming if she did not censor comments made about him on the Local 174 Facebook page. Aloise’s decision to threaten a member of my staff via email, while at the same time trying to bully his way into attending a training at our Union Hall that would put us all into legal jeopardy, were obviously extremely problematic to me and were not actions I intended to ignore.
Still, the situation escalated even further. A few weeks prior to these incidents, I had been informed by the Instituto Laboral de La Raza (which is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping down on their luck immigrant workers make it through tough times) that I was to receive an award recognizing all the work Local 174 had done in fighting for workers’ rights. This award would have been a reflection on all of us: not just me, but my staff, our Shop Stewards, and all of our members. It would have been a well-earned acknowledgement of the militancy we display every day as we fight to make life better for working people.
As all of you that know me can attest, this award was not something I asked for or even wanted. What pains me most is that this award would have been a reflection of the greatest staff and the most militant members in the country, and what was accomplished through their efforts and your support. That’s what was taken away from Local 174.
Local 174 never received that award. When Aloise found out that I was the intended recipient, he threatened the La Raza charity that if the award were given to me, no Teamster would attend the fundraising dinner where it would be awarded, and Aloise would call every Teamster Local in California and make sure La Raza was ruined. The person to whom these threats were delivered was none other than 85-year-old retired Teamster legend Freddy Sanchez, who has always been a friend to Local 174 and Joint Council 28.
La Raza was understandably concerned about the future of their charitable organization, and so they ultimately decided to give the award to someone else. According to the IIO’s report, that decision may have cost the charity over $100,000 in fundraising from the awards dinner – a fact that fills me with sadness, as this charity does wonderful work.
While I was willing to ignore gossip about Aloise’s behavior in Joint Council 7, I simply could not ignore his attacks on my staff, on treasured long-term retired Teamsters, and on small labor-friendly charities. What kind of person would I be if I did? To that end I made the decision to speak truth to power.
As for what will happen now, I do not know. It is out of our hands. If you would like to read the IIO’s full report detailing Aloise’s misconduct, you can find it at www.teamsters174.net/iio-aloise-charges. I personally found the report quite shocking, as Aloise’s behavior went far beyond his actions against me and my members. I am proud to have stepped up and hopefully will be part of stopping people like this from abuses of power going forward.
Under my leadership, Local 174 has made a habit of standing up for what’s right, even when the cost is high. Whether we are fighting misinformation about our national contracts, or taking First Student school bus drivers out on strike for healthcare and retirement, or standing up to corrupt Teamster officials who threaten our way of life, I am willing to put a bullseye on my back with powerful individuals in this Union for the sake of what is right for our members.
The issue of Aloise’s misconduct has been surprisingly divisive within the upper echelons of our Union. I would like to sincerely thank all those brave men and women who have spoken up and shown support for what I was forced to do – especially those Officers and Agents from within Joint Council 7 who have expressed relief that some action is finally being taken against Aloise’s bullying and corruption.
True leadership and integrity are demonstrated not when things are easy, but when things are hard. I thank you all for your continued support as we build a better Teamsters Union from the inside out.
In Solidarity,
Rick Hicks
Secretary-Treasurer – Teamsters Local 174