WAS HONORABLY DISCHARGED.
IN ORLANDO, MELISSA MARINO,
NEWSCHANNEL 8.
AND NOW AN 8 ON YOUR SIDE
INVESTIGATION, GHOST WORKERS.
CORRUPTION ON THE WATERFRONT
SOUNDS LIKE A THROW BACK TO
ANOTHER TIME.
BUT A NUMBER OF DOCK WORKERS
INSIST IT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW
AND RIGHT HERE AND IT'S BEEN
HAPPENING FOR YEARS.
EIGHT ON YOUR SIDE
INVESTIGATOR MARK DOUGLAS HAS
BEEN LOOKING INTO ALLEGATIONS
OF UNION FRAUD FOR MONTHS NOW
AND JOINS US TONIGHT ON WHAT
YOU'VE DISCOVERED.
Reporter: THESE ALLEGATIONS
STARTED WITH A WHISPER AND
THEY'VE NOW SPARKED AN
INVESTIGATION THE
LONGSHOREMAN'S ASSOCIATION.
THEY MAY DECIDE THE FATE OF
LOCAL UNION LEADERS.
TONIGHT YOU WILL HEAR DIRECTLY
FROM THE WHISTLE BLOWER WHO
STARTED IT.
EVAN COTTON SAYS HE'S BEEN
WORKING THE DOCKS OF PORT TAMPA
BAY AS A CARGO CLERK FOR 50
YEARS.
COTTON IS NOW A TRUSTEE FOR THE
PENSION FUND THAT COVERS CLERKS
AND LONGSHOREMEN.
AND SHE CLAIMS HE'S DISCOVERED
PAYROLL FRAUD.
IT SEEMS LIKE EVERYBODY
WANTS TO SWEEP THIS UNDER THE
RUG.
Reporter: ONE OF THOSE
PEOPLE IS LONGSHOREMAN UNION
PRESIDENT JAMES HAROLD.
I DON'T KNOW NOTHING.
IF YOU'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE
WHO IS?
NOBODY.
BUT COTTON CLAIMS SOMEBODY
IS RESPONSIBLE.
I THINK IT'S CRIMINAL.
COTTON TELLS ME THE
LONGSHOREMAN'S UNION IS HANDING
OUT PAYCHECKS TO PEOPLE HE'S
NEVER MET OR HEARD OF AFTER A
HALF CENTURY AT THE DOCK.
HE CALLS THEM GHOST WORKERS.
A LOT OF MONEY IS INVOLVED
THAT HAS BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO
PEOPLE WHO HAVE NOT EARNED IT
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
DEPRIVED OF THAT MONEY.
Reporter: RACKING UP
THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON PAYROLL
ROSTERS.
ONE OF THEM SUPPOSEDLY WORKED
THREE CRUISE SHIPS
SIMULTANEOUSLY.
HE HAD BEEN TURNED IN ON
TIME SHEETS FOR THREE DIFFERENT
SHIPS ON THE SAME DAY, DURING
THE SAME HOURS.
COLLECTIVELY MAKING 26 HOUR OF
OVERTIME IN THAT ONE SINGLE
DAY.
Reporter: LONGSHOREMAN
GIBSON HAS BEEN ON THE DOCKS
FOR 42 YEARS.
YOU KNOW PRETTY MUCH WHO
WORKS THE DOCKS AND WHO
DOESN'T.
RIGHT.
GIBSON SAYS THE COWORKERS
COTTON FOUND ON THE PAYROLL IS
A MYSTERY TO THEM.
NO WORD THEY CAN BE ON THE
DOCK AND I DON'T SEE THEM NOT
FOR THAT MANY HOURS.
Reporter: LONGSHOREMEN CON
STANDPOINTLY WORK FOR HOURS AND
COST THEM THOUSANDS IN BONUSES,
VACATION AND SENIORITY.
THAT MEANS IF GHOST WORKERS ARE
ON THE PAYROLL THEY'RE
BASICALLY STEALING MONEY RIGHT
OUT OF THE POCKETS OF
LONGSHOREMEN LIKE DANNY RILEY.
THAT HURTS ME, THAT HURT IT
IS MEN BEHIND ME.
HURTS THE MAN IN FRONT OF ME.
Reporter: RILEY IS SO
CONCERNED HE WROTE TO A FEDERAL
JUDGE PLEADING FOR HELP.
THIS NEEDS TO BE EXPOSED.
Reporter: ALL THREE MEN YOU
JUST HEARD FROM INSIST THAT
UNION PRESIDENT JAMES HAROLD
AND VICE PRESIDENT LEON
CHANDLER HAVE FAILED TO EXPRESS
THE GHOST WORKER ALLEGATIONS.
THEY CLAIM CHANDLER HAS TURNED
THEIR BACK ON THEM.
DON'T YOU KNOW ABOUT THESE
COWORKERS?
I'VE BEEN OUT SICK.
IF YOU'RE NOT RESPONSIBLE
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
NOBODY.
NOBODY IS RESPONSIBLE?
THESE ARE SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS.
TALK TO MY ATTORNEY, GET OUT
OF MY FACE.
Reporter: APPOINT TRUSTEES
UNDER THE UNION CONSTITUTION.
NOW HAROLD IS ONLY THE THIRD
LOCAL PRESIDENT IN 83 YEARS AND
HIS FORCED REMOVAL WOULD BE
QUITE REMARKABLE.
HIS PREDECESSOR PERRY HARVEY
JR. WAS ACCUSED OF
EMBEZZLEMENT.
AND PERRY HARVEY JR. ONLY
FOLLOWED PERRY HARVEY SR. SO
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ONLY THREE
ON THE LINE.
YES, THERE IS A FEDERAL
INVESTIGATION UNDER WAY IN
ADDITION TO WHATEVER THE UNION
IS DOING TOMORROW AND BEYOND
THAT.
SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS FOR
SURE.