The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has taken control of Baltimore Local 557 and suspended its president, John Clemens, for alleged illegal activities. Workers at Adell Plastics Inc., a Baltimore compounder, are among the union members represented by Local 557. Adell reportedly is the only plastics firm on that roster.
Earlier this month, Ron Carey, president of the national Teamsters union, placed the 3,000-member local into trusteeship after he uncovered ``substantial credible evidence of wrongdoing involving prostitution and payoffs,'' Teamster spokesman Craig Merrilees said by telephone Oct. 10 from Washington. The events are unlikely to affect companies employing Local 557 members, he said.
Adell President Arthur Dellheim agreed: ``This is an issue that is within the union itself. I am not aware of any implications for us.''
But the matter is causing conflict among some union members, Merrilees said, without citing specifics.
The International Teamsters accused Clemens of pocketing $45,000 collected ``from a vendor who provided concession serv-ices at the local union hall'' and allowing prostitutes to use an apartment in the hall for shelter, according to a Teamsters news release.
No legal charges have been brought against Clemens.
Clemens could not be reached for comment. But the Baltimore Sun reported Oct. 5 that he denied the allegations, saying they were slanderous and politically motivated.