Labor: Trade unions throw RICO charge at developers

The use of racketeering statutes against corrupt union leadership has become a cliche. Here's a switch: Last week, Metallic Lathers Union Local 46 and the Mason Tenders District Council, Laborers Union of North America,  announced the filing of " a multimillion dollar racketeering lawsuit against major NYC developers for illegally conspiring to bilk union construction workers out of millions of dollars in wages and benefits."  They claim Lalezarian Developers and JMH Development "conspired with unionized construction manager HRH Construction to knowingly violate the company’s collective bargaining agreements and illegally perform millions of dollars of construction work under the guise of a phony non-union alter-ego firm named Leviathan Construction Management." Two projects in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan are cited.

Announcement of the lawsuit is here. Some of the subsequent coverage is linked here.