grimtalesWitness Remains In U.S. Federal Witness Protection Program Since 1983

(from the Business Advocate)

The lead witness will be Cher Mungovan, who with her husband, Walter, were run out of the construction business in Maui, Hawaii, when they refused to sign a contract demanded by union agents.

The firm, which employed 20 persons, could not get deliveries of materials from suppliers because of union threats. Two agents of AFL-CIO Carpenters Local 745 have been sentenced to prison terms in connection with the case, and two others have been indicted.

Walter Mungovan, who was the key witness for the prosecution, is still in government custody under the U.S. Federal Witness Protection Program because of fears for his safety.

The Mungovans have exhausted their savings and are accepting contributions to a legal defense fund.

The Center on National Labor Policy, which is representing Walter Mungovan in a suit against the union, said the Mungovan case “is a pointed example of the virtual absence of any effective means to protect individuals and small business from union-sponsored extortion.”