Penn Pike sacking exposing Philly gang methods - lawsuit

Don Kovac the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission's (PTC) former Labor Relations Manager is suing the Turnpike Commission itself, Mitchell Rubin former chairman, George Hatalowich chief operating officer, and Melvin Shelton a manager at the Turnpike, plus Mark Rowe of the Philadelphia Teamsters Union Local 77 alleging they conspired to have him wrongly dismissed. If not settled before it goes to trial the case is likely to throw light on the role of a Philadelphia gang of Democrat politicians and Teamsters.

Turnpike chief executive officer Joe Brimmeier who, significantly, is not named as a defendant in Kovac's law suit is a longtime associate of his. The two spent years together at the Pittsburgh Redevelopment Authority, a bastion of Democratic patronage politics in the west of the state.

Brimmeier brought Kovac, then 61, to the Turnpike in April 2005 as labor relations manager.

Last summer Kovac had to rule on a case in which a Philadelphia area toll collector named O'Reilly faced dismissal for assault against a motorist at a toll booth.

Like most transactions the incident was recorded on Turnpike video.

Rowe an officer of Teamsters Local 77 in Philadelphia appealed to Kovac to let O'Reilly keep his job.

Kovac went against O'Reilly, and the union.

There was a split between Kovac, ostensibly in charge of labor relations and Melvin Shelton, a Philadelphia Turnpike manager.

According to the law suit: "Defendant Melvin Shelton directed Plaintiff (Kovac) to reinstate O'Reilly in keeping with the PTC pattern and practice (of giving favored treatment to union members) and not because the facts warranted reinstatement."

The Philadelphia Teamsters agent Mark Rowe, another defendant, allegedly told Kovac he would be fired if he didn't agree to reinstate the aggressive toll collector O'Reilly.

The law suit says Kovac reported the Teasters' threat to "his employer." (CEO Joe Brimmeier? - unable to contact him to ask, Editor)

Kovac's suit says that after he refused to reinstate O'Reilly the Teamster's agent Mark Rowe demanded he be dismissed, accusing him of "disloyalty."

Disloyalty to the shadow Philadelphia power structure of the Turnpike, apparently.

The law suit says that "on information and belief" the move to fire him proceeded from Teamster's agent Mark Rowe to Philadelphia manager Melvin Shelton, to Turnpike chairman Mitchell Rubin to chief operating officer George Hatalowich.

Joe B out of the loop?

In this account CEO Joe Brimmeier, his old Pittsburgh buddy was out of the loop.

Kovac says that the first sign of action against him was a change in his work schedule and his work location.

He was forced to show up and work out of the Harrisburg head office for the first time, we're told, where previously he'd been able to work his own hours out of the Pittsburgh area where he lives.

State trooper pulled him over: "You're fired"

Then on November 20 the coup de grace was delivered.  And with gangland pizzaz.

Kovac says he was driving his Turnpike-provided car on the Turnpike when a Turnpike Troop T state trooper lights flashing pulled him over.

The Turnpike trooper told him he was fired from his job.

Damages for wrongful dismissal and whistleblower protection

The suit in US District Court in Pittsburgh seeks damages for wrongful dismissal and for "whistleblowing" on the Turnpike Commission's "unethical favoritism" to union employees. He claims they also interfered with his unemployment benefits as a further retaliation.

His suit says that at the Turnpike Commission "the unwritten rule was that PTC union employees who had favored political connections would be afforded favorable treatment..."

A source following Pennsylvania politics says that the law suit is symptomatic of a break between the Philadelphia mob and the Pittsburgh mob which have always had an uneasy alliance at the Turnpike.

With the leader of the Philadelphia mob, legislative racketeer Vincent Fumo headed for jail and his associate Mitchell Rubin dismissed from the chairmanship of the Turnpike by the state governor and himself the target of US corruption investigation, the Philly crew are in poor shape. 

They won't reinstate Kovac but he probably has a good shot at getting a settlement, or significant compensation in court. If it goes to court there will be some interesting testimony about the ways of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission.

copy of the suit:

http://www.tollroadsnews.com/sites/default/files/Kovac.pdf

TOLLROADSnews 2009-04-10