Police reports show rift in Robins union leadership

Robins Air Force Base officials frequently tout improved relations with its largest union, but relations among certain union members are not so good.

In the last two weeks, Warner Robins police have twice been called to the headquarters of American Federation of Government Employees Local 987. One episode involved a dispute over audit records, and a union officer alleged that another union officer choked him.

No arrests were made in either incident, but police reports show a deep rift in the new leadership team elected three years ago. The team promised a less strident approach in dealing with management and was elected twice after results of a first election were thrown out. The team is up for re-election in October.

Police were also called to the union hall last year when the union president alleged that a union officer had threatened him.

Union President Robert Tidwell declined comment on any of the episodes, although he did say he is running for re-election.

On July 28, police were called to the union hall over a dispute involving an audit by the national union.

According to a police report, Charles Howard, the union’s executive vice president, said two union members were seen removing boxes of financial records from the building. Those members were John Lockett, the treasurer, and Eddie White, the vice president at large. Howard said the men were seen putting the boxes into Lockett’s vehicle.

Lockett told police that the auditor had expanded the audit on orders from the national office of the American Federation of Government Employees.

The auditor did not have time to go through all the records while she was there, and she had asked Lockett and White to ship the records via UPS back to the national office, Lockett told police.

Howard told police he did not object to copies of the records being taken, but he did not want the originals to be taken. The police report said Howard eventually agreed to allow the records to be taken.

“All parties agreed the level of communication between the offices was lacking,” the report concluded.

Howard, Lockett and White declined to comment on the incident when The Telegraph contacted them.

On Aug. 4, police were called back to union hall after Howard alleged that Lockett had assaulted him.

Howard told the officer that the two had gotten into an argument over a check written to Lockett. Howard said Lockett tried to slap him and he blocked it. The two then got into a scuffle in which Howard said Lockett forced him to the floor and grabbed him by the throat, then said “I’ll kill you boy,” according to the report.

“Mr. Lockett released Howard and quickly fled the scene,” the report said. Howard was told how to pursue a warrant in Magistrate Court.

Howard declined to comment on the incident.

The Telegraph learned about the Aug. 4 episode after contacting Lockett about the July 28 incident. Lockett did not return a subsequent phone call and email about the Aug. 4 incident.

On March 31, 2015, police were called to union hall over an incident between White and Tidwell. Tidwell, the complainant, told the officer that he and White got into an argument.

The incident report says Tidwell accused White of saying “that he would cut (Tidwell) and make him bleed red kool-aid.”

White denied threatening Tidwell, according to the report. White told an officer that he said “My heart doesn’t pump kool-aid, it pumps blood.”

White declined to comment about the 2015 incident as well, except to repeat what he told the officer about what happened.

In the time between the two elections three years ago, police also were called to the union hall over various incidents, although those were not alleged to be among the current union leadership.

In one case a member of the former union leadership team was allegedly found hiding in a closet at the union hall. Tidwell also alleged that his wife’s car had been vandalized at his house and he reported getting death threats. He maintained that the incidents were related to his union job.

This story was originally published August 12, 2016 at 1:19 PM with the headline "Police reports show rift in Robins union leadership."