Michael McKay (labor leader)
Encyclopedia
Michael McKay is a convicted racketeer and former labor
leader from the United States
. He was president of American Maritime Officers
(AMO) from 1993 until his conviction in 2007.
McKay, son of long-time AMO president Raymond McKay
, joined the union as a Third Assistant Engineer
in 1968. He worked his way up to Chief Engineer
(Steam and Diesel), sailing aboard deep-sea tankers and containerships.
Subsequently, he served as a union representative, organizer and as a member of the AMO executive board. McKay served as the union's secretary-treasurer until his father's death in 1993, when he took over the presidency. He was elected by wide margins in 1993 and 1996.
In 2000, executive director of the AMO's benefit plans David Merriken (who had been the best man at McKay's wedding) told federal prosecutors that he had been involved in criminal activities at the union. During the six year investigation, he recorded over 200 tapes of discussions with other union leaders.
On September 14, 2005, officials from the Department of Justice
and Department of Labor
announced the unsealing of a 13-count indictment against McKay, his brother Robert, and two other AMO officials.
Count 1 of the Indictment charged Michael McKay, Robert McKay, the National Secretary-Treasurer of the AMO Union, and former AMO employees Phillip Ciccarelli and James Lynch with conspiring to participate in the affairs of a racketeering enterprise by committing multiple acts involving theft and embezzlement from the AMO Union and the AMO Benefit Plans, graft, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, mail fraud, and honest services fraud
.
Michael McKay was also charged with embezzlement from the AMO Benefit Plans (Count 2), mail fraud (Counts 4, 9, and 10), falsification of records pertaining to the AMO Benefit Plans (Count 11), and failure to maintain records required by the Labor Management and Reporting Disclosure Act (Count 12).
Robert McKay was further charged with mail fraud (Counts 4 and 9), embezzlement from the AMO Union (Count 8), failure to maintain records required by the LMRDA (Count 12), and falsification of records required by the LMRDA (Count 13).
Phillip Ciccarelli was further charged with witness tampering (Count 3), mail fraud (Count 5), and graft affecting the AMO Benefit Plans (Counts 6 and 7).
McKay went to trial in Broward County, Florida
on November 21, 2006. During the trial, prosecutors made the case that the McKay brothers had used the union as a "personal piggy bank," using benefit funds to repair their dive boat, throw Michael's son a bachelor party, to pay for items such as "fine china, cigars, hockey games," and to make illegal campaign contributions.
The trial lasted four weeks, and the jurors took just one day to find the McKay brothers guilty on most of the charges. McKay was convicted on the following charges: racketeering conspiracy, three counts of mail fraud, and two recordkeeping offenses.
He was found not guilty on the charge of embezzling from an employee benefit plan.
McKay resigned the AMO presidency shortly after his conviction and Tom Bethel
was appointed to replace him. Bethel had formerly served as AMO's national executive vice president.
McKay's brother, former AMO National Secretary-Treasurer Robert McKay was convicted of two counts of mail fraud, embezzlement, and two recordkeeping offenses. The father served as AMO president for 36 years.
The McKay brothers remained free on bond until their sentencing on March 29, 2007. At that time, McKay was sentenced to 6-1/2 years of prison ordered to forfeit more than $2,000,000 to the U.S. government and pay AMO $275,000. Robert McKay was sentenced to 15 months, must forfeit $510,000 to the government, and $260,000 to AMO.
McKay and his wife, Carol, have five children and seven grandchildren. They were married in 1970.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
leader from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He was president of American Maritime Officers
American Maritime Officers
American Maritime Officers is a national labor union affiliated with the Seafarers International Union of North America. With an active membership of approximately 4,000, AMO is the largest union of merchant marine officers in the U.S. and primarily represents licensed mariners working in the...
(AMO) from 1993 until his conviction in 2007.
McKay, son of long-time AMO president Raymond McKay
Raymond McKay
Raymond T. McKay was an American labor leader. He was president of American Maritime Officers from 1957 until his death in 1993.After World War II, McKay sailed as a second engineer on a Sinclair Oil tanker...
, joined the union as a Third Assistant Engineer
Third Assistant Engineer
The Third Assistant Engineer, also known as the Fourth Engineer, is a licensed member of the engineering department on a merchant vessel....
in 1968. He worked his way up to Chief Engineer
Chief Engineer
In marine transportation, the chief engineer is a licensed mariner in charge of the engineering department on a merchant vessel. "Chief engineer" is the official title of someone qualified to oversee the entire engine department; the qualification is colloquially called a "chief's...
(Steam and Diesel), sailing aboard deep-sea tankers and containerships.
Subsequently, he served as a union representative, organizer and as a member of the AMO executive board. McKay served as the union's secretary-treasurer until his father's death in 1993, when he took over the presidency. He was elected by wide margins in 1993 and 1996.
In 2000, executive director of the AMO's benefit plans David Merriken (who had been the best man at McKay's wedding) told federal prosecutors that he had been involved in criminal activities at the union. During the six year investigation, he recorded over 200 tapes of discussions with other union leaders.
On September 14, 2005, officials from the Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
and Department of Labor
United States Department of Labor
The United States Department of Labor is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics. Many U.S. states also have such departments. The...
announced the unsealing of a 13-count indictment against McKay, his brother Robert, and two other AMO officials.
Count 1 of the Indictment charged Michael McKay, Robert McKay, the National Secretary-Treasurer of the AMO Union, and former AMO employees Phillip Ciccarelli and James Lynch with conspiring to participate in the affairs of a racketeering enterprise by committing multiple acts involving theft and embezzlement from the AMO Union and the AMO Benefit Plans, graft, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, mail fraud, and honest services fraud
Honest services fraud
Honest services fraud refers to a 28-word sentence of , added by the United States Congress in 1988, which states: "For the purposes of this chapter, the term, scheme or artifice to defraud includes a scheme or artifice to deprive another of the intangible right of honest services."The statute...
.
Michael McKay was also charged with embezzlement from the AMO Benefit Plans (Count 2), mail fraud (Counts 4, 9, and 10), falsification of records pertaining to the AMO Benefit Plans (Count 11), and failure to maintain records required by the Labor Management and Reporting Disclosure Act (Count 12).
Robert McKay was further charged with mail fraud (Counts 4 and 9), embezzlement from the AMO Union (Count 8), failure to maintain records required by the LMRDA (Count 12), and falsification of records required by the LMRDA (Count 13).
Phillip Ciccarelli was further charged with witness tampering (Count 3), mail fraud (Count 5), and graft affecting the AMO Benefit Plans (Counts 6 and 7).
McKay went to trial in Broward County, Florida
Broward County, Florida
-2000 Census:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,623,018 people, 654,445 households, and 411,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,346 people per square mile . There were 741,043 housing units at an average density of 615 per square mile...
on November 21, 2006. During the trial, prosecutors made the case that the McKay brothers had used the union as a "personal piggy bank," using benefit funds to repair their dive boat, throw Michael's son a bachelor party, to pay for items such as "fine china, cigars, hockey games," and to make illegal campaign contributions.
The trial lasted four weeks, and the jurors took just one day to find the McKay brothers guilty on most of the charges. McKay was convicted on the following charges: racketeering conspiracy, three counts of mail fraud, and two recordkeeping offenses.
He was found not guilty on the charge of embezzling from an employee benefit plan.
McKay resigned the AMO presidency shortly after his conviction and Tom Bethel
Tom Bethel
Thomas J. Bethel is an American labor leader. He was elected national president of American Maritime Officers in 2008. He was reelected as AMO National President in 2010. He had been appointed as the national president of the American Maritime Officers union on January 8, 2007 by the union's...
was appointed to replace him. Bethel had formerly served as AMO's national executive vice president.
McKay's brother, former AMO National Secretary-Treasurer Robert McKay was convicted of two counts of mail fraud, embezzlement, and two recordkeeping offenses. The father served as AMO president for 36 years.
The McKay brothers remained free on bond until their sentencing on March 29, 2007. At that time, McKay was sentenced to 6-1/2 years of prison ordered to forfeit more than $2,000,000 to the U.S. government and pay AMO $275,000. Robert McKay was sentenced to 15 months, must forfeit $510,000 to the government, and $260,000 to AMO.
McKay and his wife, Carol, have five children and seven grandchildren. They were married in 1970.
Trivia
- McKay held union book #M-130.
- The sentence for racketeering conspiracy could have been for up to 20 years.
See also
- American Maritime OfficersAmerican Maritime OfficersAmerican Maritime Officers is a national labor union affiliated with the Seafarers International Union of North America. With an active membership of approximately 4,000, AMO is the largest union of merchant marine officers in the U.S. and primarily represents licensed mariners working in the...
- Raymond McKayRaymond McKayRaymond T. McKay was an American labor leader. He was president of American Maritime Officers from 1957 until his death in 1993.After World War II, McKay sailed as a second engineer on a Sinclair Oil tanker...
- Michael SaccoMichael SaccoMichael Sacco is an American labor leader from Brooklyn, New York. He was appointed as the president of the Seafarers International Union of North America, AFL-CIO in June 1988 by the SIUNA Executive Board....
- Harry LundebergHarry LundebergHarrald Olaf Lundeberg was a merchant seaman and an American labor leader.-Biography:Lundeberg left his home in Oslo, Norway at age 14, joined the Seamen's Union of Australia in 1917 and transferred into the Sailors' Union of the Pacific in Seattle in 1923...
- Paul Hall (labor leader)Paul Hall (labor leader)Paul Hall was an American labor leader from Inglenook in Jefferson County, Alabama. He was a founding member and president of the Seafarers International Union from 1957 to 1980...
- Seafarers International Union