Apr 1, 1998

Three CWA members have been suspended by local trial panels for “dual unionism,” an offense specified in Article 19 of the union’s constitution.

CWA Local 1032 President James Marketti brought the charges against Steven Kook, Nancy Webber and Martin Clark after they assisted the Public Employee Association (PEA) in its attempt to replace CWA as the bargaining agent for public workers in the state of New Jersey.

The local trial panel suspended Kook and Webber for five years, until March 18, 2003, and fined each $2,000 based on uncontested charges against them of violating Section 1, subparagraph c, and Section 2, subparagraphs a and b. Kook and Webber’s only defense — that the charges were not timely — was rejected by the trial panel.

Clark, who had been a job steward and who based his defense on his contention that he did not realize it was against the CWA Constitution to work on behalf of another union, was suspended for a period of one year.

Kook and Webber have appealed the decisions.

Serving on the trial panel were Monica Beebout of CWA Local 13550, R. Terry Daly of CWA Local 1101, and David V. Carter of Local 2222.