UAW-PROBE/SENTENCING-Former United Auto Workers official gets 15 months in labor corruption case

labor corruption case@

DETROIT, Aug 5 (Reuters) – A federal judge in Detroit on Monday sentenced the former United Auto Workers union vice president in charge of relations with Fiat Chrysler to 15 months in federal prison for misusing funds intended for worker training to pay for luxury travel and entertainment for himself and other union officials.

Norwood Jewell, who led the UAW’s negotiations with Fiat Chrysler in 2015, is the highest ranking UAW official to be sentenced in connection with a wide-ranging federal investigation of corruption within the union that represents U.S. factory workers at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, General Motors Co and Ford Motor Co .

Jewell pleaded guilty in April to a single charge of violating the Labor Relations Management Act. At the time, prosecutors proposed a prison sentence of 12 to 18 months. U.S. District Judge Paul Borman rejected Jewell’s request to avoid prison and serve his sentence on home release. (Reporting By Joe White; Editing by Dan Grebler)