- Audit reveals lavish Las Vegas spending by union chiefs.
- Merger trip went ahead after deal was already cancelled.
- Forensic report finds poor oversight and missing documentation.
Bosses of a British railway trade union are facing accusations of financial mismanagement after blowing thousands of pounds of the union’s money on a trip to Las Vegas that need never have happened, The Telegraph reports.
Senior officials of the Transport Salaried Staff Association (TSSA) – including then-General Secretary Manuel Cortes, President Bernard “Mick” Carney, and Deputy General Secretary Frank Ward – filed £8,411 (US$11.2K) in expense claims.
This included four-figure casino and hotel invoices, meals – including a roast suckling pig to feed six – and business class flights.
Cortes also withdrew hundreds of dollars of union cash ahead of the August 2022 trip, according to The Telegraph.
The TSSA represents over 17,000 members employed in the administrative, managerial, and professional branches of Britain’s rail industry. Members pay up to £25 per month, which entitles them to union support in workplace disputes and access to legal assistance.
What Happened in Vegas?
The Las Vegas junket is just one instance in a wider pattern of alleged financial mismanagement. The issues came to light after an audit was launched in 2023, following the suspension of five senior managers, including Cortes, over bullying and sexual harassment claims.
The purpose of the delegation was to explore a possible merger between the TSSA and the Kansas City-based International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB).
But the US union wrote to Cortes two days before the delegation left, saying, “Unfortunately, it does not appear we will be able to reach an agreement, and a merger is simply not possible between our unions.”
This suggests that when the three men departed for Las Vegas, they knew the stated purpose of the trip was no longer valid. Auditor HW Fisher found no record of any subsequent official activity, just hotel and restaurant receipts.
Pattern of Spending
HW Fisher concluded that the Las Vegas visit reflected a pattern of expenses incurred without clear justification or proper authorization.
“Dinner expenses were frequently incurred in excess of TSSA guidelines,” auditors wrote. “Alcohol was regularly charged and reimbursed. In certain instances, no invoice was provided.”
They found that many credit card charges from 2021–2022 lacked the necessary paperwork or approval, with some expenses having no supporting documentation whatsoever.
“This is members’ money, and they expect their money to be spent on their interests, not feathering the nests of senior officials within TSSA,” Steve Coe, a former TSSA assistant general secretary, told The Telegraph, adding that Cortes should be made to repay improper expenses.
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