A federal jury on Tuesday convicted former Ironworkers boss Joe Dougherty of using his Northeast Philadelphia-based local to intimidate contractors into using union labor and violently retaliating against them if they didn’t.
After deliberating five days, jurors found Dougherty, the former secretary/business manager of Local 401, guilty of racketeering conspiracy, arson and other charges, the U.S. Attorney’s office reported Tuesday.
In all, the 73-year-old Bustleton resident was convicted of six charges. He faces a minimum term of 15 years up to a statutory maximum of 110 years in prison when he is sentenced on April 29
Local 401’s vandalism of nonunion job sites and attacks on nonunion workers were referred to by Dougherty’s co-conspirators as “night work,” and included an arson at a Quaker meetinghouse under construction in Chestnut Hill.
All of Dougherty’s 11 co-defendants, who purportedly called themselves the “shadow gang,” pleaded guilty before the trial. Shadow Gang members would enter nonunion construction sites at night and often used sledgehammers to cause thousands of dollars in damages.
Dougherty and the others were indicted in February. The federal indictment alleged that business agents would approach construction foremen at work sites and imply or explicitly threaten violence, destruction of property, or other criminal acts unless union members were hired. It was alleged that the defendants created “goon” squads, composed of union members and associates, to commit assaults, arsons and destruction of property. One such squad referred to itself as “The Helpful Union Guys,” or “T.H.U.G’s.” ••
