Teamsters Local to Be Monitored

A national Teamsters representative has been appointed to monitor the activities of Teamsters Local 186, according to union officials.

Local 186, which represents 2,400 Teamsters in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, came under investigation by national union leaders this past summer after some members accused local officials of various improprieties.

National leaders held a three-day hearing in Ventura in August to consider whether local union officials should be ousted and replaced with trustees.

Instead, they appointed Ed Mireles, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 952 in Orange County, to monitor Local 186 for an undetermined length of time.

But officials said it was very unlikely a trusteeship would have gone into effect since all the local leaders in question were voted out of office in an election Oct. 7.

Allegations against the leadership included claims that they had locked some members out of meetings and physically threatened Scott Dennison, who then was the local’s president and is now secretary-treasurer, which is the union’s chief administrative officer, Hawkins said.

The union had also been accused of refusing to allow Dennison to sign checks or review financial matters for the local, even though it was a requirement of his position as president, Hawkins said.