Suffolk union battle gets nasty early

A battle for president of Suffolk's largest union has gotten nasty early. Cheryl Felice, president of the 6,500 member Association of Municipal Employees, last week removed treasurer -- and declared rival -- Dan Farrell as one of eight union officers assigned to work full-time on AME business.

Felice told members in a letter Farrell was involved in "conduct detrimental" to the union, including aggressive driving of his union-assigned car and what union sources said was hurling a golf club during a labor conference, allegedly knocking over an event sponsor.

Farrell calls it retaliation since he informed Felice days earlier he'd run against her in the spring. "It has nothing to do with any of these so-called incidents, which are embellished half-truths," he said.

The candidate filing deadline is next Monday with election results to be finalized April 3. -- Rick Brand