-
Login
-
Digital Edition
-
Print Edition
- Most Commented
- Most Commented
- Most Emailed
- Most Emailed
- Popular
- Popular
« News Home
YSU union chief placed on leave as criminal complaint surfaces on leave pending
Tweet
Ivan Maldonado
- Kent State May 4, 1970
- 'Four Dead in Ohio' — Kent State 40 years on
- A life cut short - Sandra Scheuer
- COLUMN: I regret the 27 years it took to do my homework
- GALLERY: Kent State: Then and now
- VIGNETTES: Kent State Shootings - 40th Anniversary
- SLIDESHOW: May 4 in photos
- EVENTS: May 4 events
- VIDEO: Harvey Kayne
- VIDEO: Jane Doughton
By Harold Gwin
Another employee told police she feels threatened by the leader of the classified workers union.
YOUNGSTOWN — The president of Youngstown State University’s 380-member Association of Classified Employees union has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the investigation of a criminal complaint filed against him.
Ivan Maldonado, a 20-year YSU employee, was handed notice of the university’s action against him Friday afternoon.
The campus community was also notified in a general e-mail message sent out about that same time.
Ron Cole, a YSU spokesman, said Maldonado, an employee in the payroll office, was placed on administrative leave with pay “as a result of a formal police complaint filed by another YSU employee accusing Maldonado of harassment and threats.”
The leave will continue while an investigation is conducted, Cole said.
He declined further comment and said YSU President David C. Sweet would have no comment on the matter.
Maldonado, reached by telephone Saturday, also declined any immediate comment.
YSU police said a female employee of YSU’s facilities department, who is a member of the ACE union, filed a menacing complaint against Maldonado Wednesday morning alleging that she “believes that the suspect will cause either physical or emotional harm” to her.
The police report said her allegation stemmed from “an incident that took place on Tuesday 3/10/09,” but the report doesn’t give any details of that incident.
The investigation follows a dispute between Maldonado and the university over a pay-scale dispute that is headed for binding arbitration.
The university has maintained that Maldonado had incorrectly received a $21,000 pay raise under terms of the new ACE contract negotiated last summer and unilaterally began reducing his pay in January, cutting his $82,613 annual salary by that amount.
The move triggered a pair of grievances by the ACE union, which the university denied. They will now be resolved by binding arbitration.
The pay-scale dispute resulted in Craig Bickley, the university’s former chief human resources officer/chief negotiator, being placed on administrative leave in December. He resigned his post late that month.
gwin@vindy.com
Comments
Wasn't this threat related to a different grievance that was filed? I think it had something to do with a deal that was made between Craig Bickley and the previous ACE union President without Administration's knowledge that Ivan was trying to enforce but it leaked out to his members??????
Regardless of what it is related to, it's rather sickening. One employee threatening another would be a bad enough situation. In this case, we have an elected union president who is alleged to have threatened one of his own members. What does the union membership feel about this? Have other people had this kind of treatment from their president?
Kudos to this woman for having the courage to stand up against this kind of behavior.
This Union member has never supported the alleged "deals" made between Ivan Maldonado and Craig Bickley. He should have stepped down then! I know the individual who filed the complaint and she is a hard worker and honest. Again, this complaint is alleged so we will wait to see what happens. But, I can't imagine her making a criminal complaint if there were no grounds for it! It is no secret that this Union President has spoken to the Union membership as thought we were 3rd graders as he always chastised us at the meetings for one thing or another. Union Leadership like this is horrific and such a detrement to all of us who work for the students of YSU. Attempts to get Ivan to resign (by petition) fell very short as people "don't want to get involved." Wake Up YSU Classified employees! The only reason I remain in the Union is that I have to. YSU is a closed shop - you can opt out of the Union but still pay "fair share dues.