Local 98 agrees to oversight of internal election after lawsuit alleged intimidation by Johnny Doc

The city’s politically powerful electricians union has settled a lawsuit filed by the federal government and agreed to conduct its next internal leadership election under the supervision of the U.S. Department of Labor, prosecutors announced Monday.

The civil suit alleged that John J. Dougherty and his allies intimidated and threatened other members of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers who sought to challenge incumbent leaders in the union’s June 2020 election, causing the members to withdraw from nominations.

The suit was filed early last year, and since then Dougherty — better known by the nickname “Johnny Doc” — and former City Councilmember Bobby Henon were convicted in federal court of bribery charges. They await sentencing, and Dougherty faces two more trials. Henon resigned from his Council seat in January.

Frank Keel, communications director for Local 98, confirmed in an emailed statement that the case had been settled, but noted that the agreement “includes no admission of guilt whatsoever by IBEW Local 98. From the outset of the [Department of Justice’s] civil action against Local 98, we maintained that our 2020 election was conducted properly, fairly and in accordance with all IBEW and National Labor Relations Board election rules and regulations.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia said the “claims resolved by the settlement announced today are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.”

The federal government alleged in its complaint against Local 98 that the union convinced three members to withdraw from nominations in its 2020 leadership election through an intimidation campaign orchestrated by Dougherty, who was Local 98′s business manager, and Brian Burrows, the union’s president.

The incumbent leaders then ran unopposed and were reelected. The federal government alleged that the intimidation campaign violated the rights of union members under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 to nominate, be nominated, and vote for or otherwise support the candidates of their choice without improper interference or threat of reprisal.

“Elections belong to the people, and union members have a federally protected right to free and fair union elections,” U.S. Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams said in a statement. “Today’s agreement will protect the civil rights of all Local 98 members and ensure every member in good standing can freely exercise their rights to seek elected office and nominate and vote for candidates of their choosing without intimidation or fear of reprisal from those in positions of power.”

Williams added: “Today’s agreement will help ensure every Local 98 member will have his or her voice heard in a free and fair officer election. If you interfere with anyone’s rights to vote, or to seek office, the United States will hold you accountable.”

The union had previously drawn government scrutiny for its management of competitive internal races. In 2014, the union signed a compliance agreement with the Labor Department after investigators determined union leaders had improperly disqualified eligible candidates for office.

Even afterward, the potential candidates involved in that probe said they were blackballed and denied work for nearly two years, government lawyers said.