Western Railroad Discussion > BLET President in Trouble...

I guess it's the same all over...


From the Teamsters Website:

BLET President Caught Embezzling

September, 17, 2007: The president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen (BLET) Don Hahs has been charged with embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from the union.

Hahs spent the money to pay for everything from Cleveland Cavs tickets to a fishing expedition to Alaska. The Independent Review Board (IRB) issued the charges on September 13.

Hahs has been a Hoffa International Rep since the BLET merged with the Teamsters in 2004. His career is likely coming to an end.

From 2004 to 2006, the IRB found Hahs spent $47,880 on tickets to Cleveland Cavaliers basketball games. Hahs kept the tickets in his desk, and he only gave them out to other BLET employees “at the last minute when he could not use the tickets himself,” according to the charge.

Hahs also charged the union for:

A three-day fishing trip in Alaska. Hahs was in Alaska for one day for a meeting then cut out for his fishing trip.
Taking his wife on union trips. Since 2004, Hahs charged the union $7,951.97 for his wife’s tickets and meals.
A week-long trip to Las Vegas with his wife that cost $1,677.77. Hahs and the union have no record of any union purpose of their excursion.
$923 in hotel room movies. Hahs says his grandson enjoyed them; he often brought his grandson along on his trips at union expense.
Hahs claimed he brought his wife along on trips so that she could report back to the Grand International of Auxiliary, the BLET’s spouses association. But the officers of the GIA reported “that Mrs. Hahs never gave any presentations or updates at any GIA meetings about this trip or any other meetings she had attended.”

Altogether, the IRB investigation indicates that Hahs embezzled over $58,000 from the union.

Hoffa now has to decide whether to hold a hearing on the charges, or dodge the issue and let the IRB handle it. If Hahs is found guilty of the charges, the punishment may well be expulsion from the Teamsters.

“Don Hahs has shamed our union, but this is also an opportunity,” said Ed Michael from BLET Division 724. “Don Hahs’s outrageous waste of our dues money and resources has to end. Our remaining leaders have a unique opportunity to begin creating trust and respect at every level of the BLET.

“Hopefully our next BLET President will put our members first.”

I'v never known a union leader to be uncorruptible....Or a mayor, a CEO, a politician, even a lowly gas station clerk will get for themselves what they can.

Matters not the job, title, or industry, be it public or private, people will attempt to get away with something.

Save your union bashing for another time....can you say Halliburton???

Boomer Wrote:

> “Hopefully our next BLET President will put our
> members first.”


LOL thats the best one I heard so far. LOL

At least he didn't retire where Jimmy Hoffa did...

Okay, just so we're all on the same page here, the "Hopefully our next BLET President will put our members first" comments were not from me, but from Ed Michael, who is quoted in the article - I'm just the messenger here, folks.

Maybe while in prison he could work on merging the BLET with the UTU. The UTU's ex president Byron Boyd is serving time for corruption type charges also! Thanks guys for eroding our unions credibility in front of the carriers even further!

PumpkinHogger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'v never known a union leader to be
> uncorruptible....Or a mayor, a CEO, a politician,
> even a lowly gas station clerk will get for
> themselves what they can.
>
> Matters not the job, title, or industry, be it
> public or private, people will attempt to get away
> with something.
>
> Save your union bashing for another time....can
> you say Halliburton???

So typical of some ble'rs! Let something negative be posted about the UTU and you fine gentlemen would fracture your digits piling-on!! Halliburton, pleaseeeeeee!

mojaveflyer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> At least he didn't retire where Jimmy Hoffa did...


Not Yet at least.

That explains the last contract. I voted no and can't find anyone willing to admit they voted in favor. Thanks for making my day!

I'm impressed that the union's own procedures caught the theft, and blew the whistle. That's more than some employers did when they discovered malfeasance.

An organization that holds money in trust needs safeguards and accountability. Whether it's a church, a hospital, a medical firm, or a union.

PumpkinHogger Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Save your union bashing for another time....can
> you say Halliburton???

Same old stuff! A union gets bad press and the first thing is that the union guys have to deflect corruption elsewhere instead of admitting that they themselves are the most corrupt bunch in history! The unions put all politicians to shame when it comes to making a fast, and illegal buck. By the way, what ever happened to Jimmy Hoffa?

I must add that I made my Hoffa comment without reading the most recent posts.

C'mon, can't you union guys ever admit anything is wrong within your midst?

Coolidge Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PumpkinHogger Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Save your union bashing for another time....can
> > you say Halliburton???
>
> Same old stuff! A union gets bad press and the
> first thing is that the union guys have to deflect
> corruption elsewhere instead of admitting that
> they themselves are the most corrupt bunch in
> history! The unions put all politicians to shame
> when it comes to making a fast, and illegal buck.
> By the way, what ever happened to Jimmy Hoffa?
>
> I must add that I made my Hoffa comment without
> reading the most recent posts.
>
> C'mon, can't you union guys ever admit anything is
> wrong within your midst?

Both the brotherhood of lost ethics and the under the table union lost all creditability long ago!

Boyd is out on parole.

Hahs used to send IC&E folks a lot of propaganda and bad mouthed Schieffer during the negotiations. Not the most popular guy I'm told.

> BLET President Caught Embezzling

Cool! I was getting sooo tired of the UTU hogging the spotlight.

You da man, Don!