Ironworkers union leader gets eight years for extortion, racketeering, arson

A Philadelphia ironworkers union leader accused of using extortion and violence to force non-union contractors to hire organized labor was sentenced to eight years in prison Thursday.

Edward Sweeney, 56, of Philadelphia was a business agent for the Ironworkers Local 401 when he admitted to participating in a series of incidents as part of a plan to force non-union contractors to hire union labor. Among the 10 incidents of extortion or attempted extortion were a December 2012 arson at a Chestnut Hill Quaker meetinghouse, an arson on Grays Avenue in Philadelphia, and an attempted arson in Malvern, all of which federal prosecutors were in retaliation for contractors’ failure to hire union ironworkers.

Sweeney pleaded guilty on Sept. 30 to RICO conspiracy, maliciously damaging property by means of fire, use of fire to commit a felony, maliciously damaging property by means of fire, conspiracy to maliciously damage property by means of fire, and attempted maliciously damaging property by means of fire.

U.S. District Court Judge Michael Baylson also ordered restitution of $217,000, three years of supervised release, and a $600 special assessment.

Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams brought charges in 2013 against Sweeney, who was accused of harassing, threatening and assaulting Sarina Rose, vice president of development for Post Brothers, which battled with the unions over using non-union labor in 2012 for its conversion project at the Goldtex apartments on 12th Street. Sweeney allegedly pinned Rose against a counter in a diner across the street from the project and then later made a gesture with his hand similar to a gun firing. Rose also said that union officials had filmed her children getting onto school buses in Montgomery County.

But after two days of testimony last November, the charges of terroristic threats, simple assault and harassment were dropped by a judge partly because of a since-closed loophole that banned prosecuting those involved in a labor dispute for harassment, stalking and threatening someone with weapons of mass destruction.

Sweeney is the ninth defendant to be sentenced in the case with three more pending, including Local 401’s longtime leader, Joseph Dougherty.

Source: Philadelphia business Journal