Memo: No. 2 Union Official Intervened in Probe Involving Sister

It took a hurricane for top-level union officials to begin raising questions about Machinists Local 2198 in Houston.

Members were being denied relief assistance from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers for damages wrought by Hurricane Harvey. The two union representatives dispatched to investigate in November 2017 believed negligent recordkeeping was to blame. But as the duo dug into documents, other issues began popping up like missing files, inflated salaries, and thousands of dollars in unapproved meal expenses.

“There was stuff that just glared at us,” said Sandy Gardner, one of the representatives sent to determine what was ...