Native name IUANPW Affiliation AFL-CIO | Members 22,000 | |
Full name International Union of Allied Novelty and Production Workers Key people Mark A. Spano, President; John Serpico, convicted officer of multiple locals Office location 1950 W. Erie St.
Chicago, Illinois 60662 | ||
The International Union of Allied Novelty and Production Workers or Novelty Workers traditionally represented workers at toy factories. Because that industry almost entirely moved to China, the trade union now represents other manufacturing, construction and healthcare workers. The Novelty Workers belong to the AFL-CIO as one of the organization’s smallest members.
Organized crime
John Serpico, a prominent member of the Chicago La Cosa Nostra, held multiple paid positions with both the Novelty Workers and the Laborers Union. In the 2001 case U.S. v. Serpico, a federal jury convicted him for multiple counts of mail fraud involving a kickback scheme with union pension funds. Two members of the Colombo crime family were also convicted under RICO for kickbacks in exchange for under-reporting union employment on behalf of a represented trucking company.
Federal prosecutors also convicted labor lawyer Sanford Pollack, who represented both the Novelty Workers and Teamsters, for racketeering in order to embezzle from the organization, and arson to conceal evidence.