McCaffrey seeks rerun of union election

Suffolk County Legis. Kevin McCaffrey, who is also the $106,000-a-year president of Teamster Local 707, has filed a protest and asked for a rerun of a recent union election that he lost by six votes.

McCaffrey, a Republican, filed the protest with Teamster Joint Council 16, claiming opponents did improper workplace electioneering during the mail-in balloting. He also said more than 100 union members were never sent ballots because one of the employer companies failed to send in dues and proper paperwork until after the election.

About 2,400 ballots went out, but only 650 votes were cast in the contest in which retiree John Kelder, a former union president, edged out McCaffrey. McCaffrey (R-Lindenhurst) lost his union election only days before he won a second term as a $100,000-a-year county lawmaker. Kelder criticized McCaffrey over cuts in the union’s waning pension fund.

McCaffrey said a hearing will be held before the joint council, which has the power to order a new election. Should a new balloting be ordered at the Dec. 10 hearing, the president’s post would be vacant starting Jan. 1 until a revote could be held, McCaffrey said.