The head of the largest labor organization in Northeast Ohio has been dismissed after he was accused of improper credit card expenditures.
The executive board of the North Shore AFL-CIO Federation of Labor said in a statement Tuesday that Dan O鈥橫alley has been removed as the executive secretary of the organization.
The board, in the statement, said a due process hearing was held last month on O鈥橫alley鈥檚 鈥渦se of the federation鈥檚 credit card and reimbursement practices.鈥� The Board found him 鈥済uilty of four of the six charges鈥� he faced under the organization鈥檚 rules and procedures, and voted to remove him from office.
鈥淭his was a very difficult decision on the part of our Board, but after deep review and discussion we determined that our duty to our members required this action,鈥� executive board chair Shari Obrenski, president of the Cleveland Teachers Union, said in the prepared statement.
海角破解版 previously reported allegations that O鈥橫alley had improperly spent at least several thousand dollars using his company card on bar tabs, hotel stays and grocery bills. A source said the organization鈥檚 treasurer flagged the expenditures last year and that the questionable spending continued after that.
O鈥橫alley denied those allegations Tuesday.
鈥�Every single expense that I had in my entire time was approved, and, including every single credit card statement, was presented and signed off on,鈥� he said. 鈥淪o, it鈥檚 obviously very disappointing.鈥�
He said the North Shore AFL-CIO does not have a policy for credit card use or travel, which complicated the matter.
O鈥橫alley said he was weighing whether he should appeal the decision. He鈥檒l need to give the organization notice of that appeal within the week.
He thanked the labor leaders who still support him, noting the board members鈥� votes on the charges were not unanimous, nor was the vote to remove him from office.
Obrenski declined to respond to those assertions Tuesday.
鈥淲ith a potential appeal pending, we cannot go into further detail regarding Mr. O鈥橫alley,鈥� she said.
The North Shore AFL-CIO Federation represents 146 local labor unions and 85,000 members in Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga Counties.
O鈥橫alley had served as president of Lakewood City Council until resigning early last year to take a seat on the board of the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority.
