Michael J Forde
Encyclopedia
Michael J. Forde is a labor union
activist and, since 2000, EST (Executive Secretary Treasure of the N.Y.C. District Council of Carpenters
, an affiliate of the UBC (United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America). Mr. Forde was fired on August 10, 2009 from the position of EST.
. His father was Martin Forde
, who was a Carpenter Official. He is married to his wife Mary Jane and has two children. He attended Hunter College, but it is unknown if he graduated with a degree. His early career was as a court room stenographer, but he left that to work as a Union Carpenter, joining Local Union 608 on October 1, 1980.
. He served in this appointed position, until he was elected Business Agent of Local 608 in 1993. In 1994, Forde was elected Vice President of Local 608. After the retirement of Patrick J Harvey, Mike Forde became President of Local 608 in 1996
came out of trusteeship, Forde was elected EST - Executive Secretary Treasurer of the council (2000), overseeing all the Organizers and Business Agents of all 11 Carpenters Local Unions of New York City. Forde held this position, until being fired in August 2009. After being elected to the EST position, Forde was forced to give up his Local 608 position of President and Business Manager, due to a RICO Consent Decree rule, even though previous DC Officials were able to keep their local positions.
was under a trusteeship, due the previous administration. The RICO Consent Decree required the Council to have an all member election, and Mike Forde was elected as the EST, a position that is very powerful—the authority to hire and fire all Organizers and Business Agents, as well as being the Chairman of the lucrative Benefit Funds. Forde has gone on to win the position of EST in 2004 and 2008, but not without incident.
In September 2007, Judge Haight, who oversees the enforcement of the District Council's consent decree found Forde to be in contempt, as a result of rigging the job referral system to benefit his friends and associates - Forde was fined $10,000 for this infraction. This was the second occurrence of Mr. Forde being found to manipulate the out of work list.
On August 5, 2009, a new 29 count indictment was revealed that accuse Mike Forde and 9 other individuals, including two local 608 Business Agents, of bribe taking, and allowing contractors to knowingly hire carpenters and pay them in cash, defrauding the Carpenters Benefit Funds of over $10 Million. They are assumed to be innocent, and Mike Forde was even at work on the following day. On August 10, 2009, Mike Forde was fired from his position of Executive Secretary Treasurer of the New York City District Council of Carpenters. Shortly after the Forde was indicted and fired, a cache of drugs (Oxycontin) and a stun gun were found hidden in the offices of the Labor Technical College of the District Council. The Assistant United States Attorney has stated that Mike Forde tested positive for both cocaine and marijuana at the time of his arrest.
In July 2010, Mike Ford plead guilty to the most recent charges, including taking bribes from contractors to pay workers cash, and allowing non-union workers onto job sites. These crimes are very similar to the crimes that his father, Martin was convicted of back in 1990
Mike Forde was sentenced to 11 years in prison, and will have to pay restitution to the union funds that he defrauded. Just after sentencing, Mr. Forde asked the Judge if he could be enrolled in a Drug and Alcohol Treatment program while serving his term. He must turn himself in to the authorities before January 7, 2011
. Because of a snafu with the paperwork, Forde's entry date to the Federal Prison System was postponed to a later date of February 7, 2011, and the judge announced that the Federal Bureau of Prisons has chosen a prison in West Virginia for Mr. Forde to serve his time
Mike Forde is currently serving his sentence in McDowell Federal Correction Center in West Virginia, with an expected release date of September 6, 2020.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
activist and, since 2000, EST (Executive Secretary Treasure of the N.Y.C. District Council of Carpenters
N.Y.C. District Council of Carpenters
The N.Y.C. District Council of Carpenters maintains jurisdiction over all carpentry work and exhibition work in the New York City area. The council is under UBC Trusteeship, after the firing of the current Executive Secretary-Treasurer, which is the highest position in the union, Michael J Forde...
, an affiliate of the UBC (United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America). Mr. Forde was fired on August 10, 2009 from the position of EST.
Early life and career
Forde was born August 14, 1954 in Woodside, QueensWoodside, Queens
Woodside is a neighborhood in the western portion of the New York City borough of Queens. It is bordered on the south by Maspeth, on the north by Astoria, on the west by Sunnyside and on the east by Elmhurst and Jackson Heights. Some areas are widely residential and very quiet, while others are...
. His father was Martin Forde
Martin Forde
Martin Forde is a retired labor union activist.-Early life and career:Martin Forde lives in Queens NY and East Durham NY. Martin is the father of Mike Forde. Martin Forde was born in County Mayo, Ireland and emigrated to the United States in 1952...
, who was a Carpenter Official. He is married to his wife Mary Jane and has two children. He attended Hunter College, but it is unknown if he graduated with a degree. His early career was as a court room stenographer, but he left that to work as a Union Carpenter, joining Local Union 608 on October 1, 1980.
Local 608 Tenure
After working as a Carpenter for a number of years, mostly on Acoustical Ceilings, Mike Forde was appointed as a Union Organizer by Local 608 President, Paschal McGuinnessPaschal McGuinness
-Early life and career:Paschal was born in County Cavan, Ireland. During his early life, he learned the Carpenter trade via an apprenticeship program. After emigrating to the United States, Paschal joined Local Union 608 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America in November 1957...
. He served in this appointed position, until he was elected Business Agent of Local 608 in 1993. In 1994, Forde was elected Vice President of Local 608. After the retirement of Patrick J Harvey, Mike Forde became President of Local 608 in 1996
District Council Tenure
After the N.Y.C. District Council of CarpentersN.Y.C. District Council of Carpenters
The N.Y.C. District Council of Carpenters maintains jurisdiction over all carpentry work and exhibition work in the New York City area. The council is under UBC Trusteeship, after the firing of the current Executive Secretary-Treasurer, which is the highest position in the union, Michael J Forde...
came out of trusteeship, Forde was elected EST - Executive Secretary Treasurer of the council (2000), overseeing all the Organizers and Business Agents of all 11 Carpenters Local Unions of New York City. Forde held this position, until being fired in August 2009. After being elected to the EST position, Forde was forced to give up his Local 608 position of President and Business Manager, due to a RICO Consent Decree rule, even though previous DC Officials were able to keep their local positions.
Rise to the Executive Secretary Treasurer
From 1996-2000, the N.Y.C. District Council of CarpentersN.Y.C. District Council of Carpenters
The N.Y.C. District Council of Carpenters maintains jurisdiction over all carpentry work and exhibition work in the New York City area. The council is under UBC Trusteeship, after the firing of the current Executive Secretary-Treasurer, which is the highest position in the union, Michael J Forde...
was under a trusteeship, due the previous administration. The RICO Consent Decree required the Council to have an all member election, and Mike Forde was elected as the EST, a position that is very powerful—the authority to hire and fire all Organizers and Business Agents, as well as being the Chairman of the lucrative Benefit Funds. Forde has gone on to win the position of EST in 2004 and 2008, but not without incident.
Turmoil in the Carpenters
In September 2000, Mike Forde and 37 other individuals were indicted for Bribery, including Local 608 Business Agent Martin Devereaux. Forde was accused of accepting a $50,000 bribe to allow non union labor to work at the Park Central Hotel, in New York City. After a long delay for unknown reasons (3 years and 9 months), Forde was convicted in 2004. His able lawyers were able to convince the Judge to set aside the verdict, and a new trial was ordered in 2005. This trial was finally held again in 2008, and Forde was acquitted. Most of the other 37 defendants had pleaded guilty, including Steven CreaSteven Crea
Steven L. Crea , also known as "Wonderboy", or "Herbie", is a New York mobster heavily involved in labor racketeering who eventually became the acting boss of the Lucchese crime family.-Rise to power:...
In September 2007, Judge Haight, who oversees the enforcement of the District Council's consent decree found Forde to be in contempt, as a result of rigging the job referral system to benefit his friends and associates - Forde was fined $10,000 for this infraction. This was the second occurrence of Mr. Forde being found to manipulate the out of work list.
On August 5, 2009, a new 29 count indictment was revealed that accuse Mike Forde and 9 other individuals, including two local 608 Business Agents, of bribe taking, and allowing contractors to knowingly hire carpenters and pay them in cash, defrauding the Carpenters Benefit Funds of over $10 Million. They are assumed to be innocent, and Mike Forde was even at work on the following day. On August 10, 2009, Mike Forde was fired from his position of Executive Secretary Treasurer of the New York City District Council of Carpenters. Shortly after the Forde was indicted and fired, a cache of drugs (Oxycontin) and a stun gun were found hidden in the offices of the Labor Technical College of the District Council. The Assistant United States Attorney has stated that Mike Forde tested positive for both cocaine and marijuana at the time of his arrest.
In July 2010, Mike Ford plead guilty to the most recent charges, including taking bribes from contractors to pay workers cash, and allowing non-union workers onto job sites. These crimes are very similar to the crimes that his father, Martin was convicted of back in 1990
Mike Forde was sentenced to 11 years in prison, and will have to pay restitution to the union funds that he defrauded. Just after sentencing, Mr. Forde asked the Judge if he could be enrolled in a Drug and Alcohol Treatment program while serving his term. He must turn himself in to the authorities before January 7, 2011
. Because of a snafu with the paperwork, Forde's entry date to the Federal Prison System was postponed to a later date of February 7, 2011, and the judge announced that the Federal Bureau of Prisons has chosen a prison in West Virginia for Mr. Forde to serve his time
Mike Forde is currently serving his sentence in McDowell Federal Correction Center in West Virginia, with an expected release date of September 6, 2020.