National CWA supports foe of Katz

Union charges against local VP dropped =

Thursday, March 27, 2008

BY SUSAN K. LIVIO

Star-Ledger Staff

Carla Katz, a prominent state union leader and Gov. Jon = Corzine's=20 former girlfriend, got a double dose of bad news this month in her = struggle with the Communications Workers of America.

National CWA leaders have decided there was no merit to the=20 disciplinary charges Local 1034 officials brought against a local = vice=20 president in October, according to a March 20 letter obtained by = The=20 Star-Ledger. They had accused Jonathan Berg of violating union = rules,=20 leaking confidential information to the press and bringing the = local and=20 its leaders into disrepute.

"The charges brought against Jonathan Berg were investigated = and=20 dropped," national CWA spokeswoman Candice Johnson confirmed = yesterday.=20

Meanwhile, the CWA agreed to investigate a counterclaim Berg = filed=20 against Katz for alleged misdeeds as president of Local 1034, = according to=20 a copy of the March 13 motion approved by the national board, also = obtained by the newspaper. Johnson confirmed the CWA's executive = board=20 "voted to proceed" with investigating Berg's claim. The board has=20 "appointed a person to assist in the presentation of evidence = against=20 Katz," she said.

Katz, who is campaigning for vice president of CWA District 1 = -- which=20 represents more than 190,000 members in 327 local unions in New = York, New=20 Jersey, New England and eastern Canada -- did not return phone = calls or=20 e-mails seeking comment yesterday.

The bad blood between Katz and Berg, her former ally on the = Local 1034=20 board, developed after it was learned that Katz and Corzine had = exchanged=20 e-mails during state worker contract negotiations that concluded = in 2007.=20

Republicans sued the governor for access to the e-mails to = determine=20 whether they played some role in the negotiations. Corzine refused = to=20 release them, asserting that they are private and exempt from the = state=20 Open Public Records Act because of "executive privilege."

At her local's expense, Katz intervened in the lawsuit and = disagreed=20 with Corzine's position, arguing the e-mails should be kept = private=20 because they were confidential labor negotiations.

Berg and other union leaders challenged Katz's decision to = spend union=20 funds on the lawsuit.

After the dispute became public, Katz and her allies filed = disciplinary=20 charges against Berg for disclosing information to the press. They = also=20 suspended him from Local 1034's board, but they later rescinded = that=20 action.

A prosecutor appointed by the CWA national office to = investigate the=20 charges against Berg found "no probable cause" to punish him.

"As difficult as it may be for an executive board to have a = board=20 member publicly break ranks, it is not something for which he or = she may=20 be disciplined," according to the report by the prosecutor, Elisa = Riordan,=20 who said none of the board members "could provide any specifics = rules of=20 the local that he had violated."

"It was our position from the start his removal from the = executive=20 board on the basis of the charges was unlawful, and the = disciplinary=20 charges didn't have any merit either," said Berg's lawyer, James = Reif.=20

Now a union prosecutor will investigate claims that Katz made = political=20 donations in the union's name without proper authorization, = conducted=20 unauthorized secret contract talks with Corzine and worked part = time as=20 president even though she is paid $103,000 to be the full-time = leader of=20 the biggest CWA local in New Jersey.



National CWA supports foe of Katz Union charges against local VP dropped = Thursday, March 27, 2008 BY SUSAN K. LIVIO Star-Ledger Staff Carla Katz, a prominent state union leader and Gov. Jon = Corzine's=20 former girlfriend, got a double dose of bad news this month in her = struggle with the Communications Workers of America. National CWA leaders have decided there was no merit to the=20 disciplinary charges Local 1034 officials brought against a local = vice=20 president in October, according to a March 20 letter obtained by = The=20 Star-Ledger. They had accused Jonathan Berg of violating union = rules,=20 leaking confidential information to the press and bringing the = local and=20 its leaders into disrepute. "The charges brought against Jonathan Berg were investigated = and=20 dropped," national CWA spokeswoman Candice Johnson confirmed = yesterday.=20 Meanwhile, the CWA agreed to investigate a counterclaim Berg = filed=20 against Katz for alleged misdeeds as president of Local 1034, = according to=20 a copy of the March 13 motion approved by the national board, also = obtained by the newspaper. Johnson confirmed the CWA's executive = board=20 "voted to proceed" with investigating Berg's claim. The board has=20 "appointed a person to assist in the presentation of evidence = against=20 Katz," she said. Katz, who is campaigning for vice president of CWA District 1 = -- which=20 represents more than 190,000 members in 327 local unions in New = York, New=20 Jersey, New England and eastern Canada -- did not return phone = calls or=20 e-mails seeking comment yesterday. The bad blood between Katz and Berg, her former ally on the = Local 1034=20 board, developed after it was learned that Katz and Corzine had = exchanged=20 e-mails during state worker contract negotiations that concluded = in 2007.=20 Republicans sued the governor for access to the e-mails to = determine=20 whether they played some role in the negotiations. Corzine refused = to=20 release them, asserting that they are private and exempt from the = state=20 Open Public Records Act because of "executive privilege." At her local's expense, Katz intervened in the lawsuit and = disagreed=20 with Corzine's position, arguing the e-mails should be kept = private=20 because they were confidential labor negotiations. Berg and other union leaders challenged Katz's decision to = spend union=20 funds on the lawsuit. After the dispute became public, Katz and her allies filed = disciplinary=20 charges against Berg for disclosing information to the press. They = also=20 suspended him from Local 1034's board, but they later rescinded = that=20 action. A prosecutor appointed by the CWA national office to = investigate the=20 charges against Berg found "no probable cause" to punish him. "As difficult as it may be for an executive board to have a = board=20 member publicly break ranks, it is not something for which he or = she may=20 be disciplined," according to the report by the prosecutor, Elisa = Riordan,=20 who said none of the board members "could provide any specifics = rules of=20 the local that he had violated." "It was our position from the start his removal from the = executive=20 board on the basis of the charges was unlawful, and the = disciplinary=20 charges didn't have any merit either," said Berg's lawyer, James = Reif.=20 Now a union prosecutor will investigate claims that Katz made = political=20 donations in the union's name without proper authorization, = conducted=20 unauthorized secret contract talks with Corzine and worked part = time as=20 president even though she is paid $103,000 to be the full-time = leader of=20 the biggest CWA local in New Jersey. =A9 2008 The Star Ledger =A9 2008 NJ.com All Rights = Reserved.