Just minutes before his deadline of 5 p.m. Tuesday, Teamsters boss George Cashman officially resigned as a member of the Massachusetts Port Authority Board of Directors.
Acting Gov. Jane Swift’s had demanded that Cashman resign following his indictment last Thursday on charges of embezzlement, having allegedly granted union health benefits to ineligible workers.
Cashman was not available for comment but released a statement in which he claimed innocence.
“I intend to devote my energies to fighting the unfounded allegations lodged against me,” he said in the statement.
Cashman’s contributions as a member of the board were minimal; the Boston Globe reported he missed 10 of 12 monthly board meetings prior to Sept. 11.
Swift insisted if he did not voluntarily step down from his position, she would suspend him from the board.
“The governor is pleased that he followed her request to resign,” said Swift spokeswoman Sarah Magazine.
In his statement, Cashman stressed he wants “to make sure Massport aggressively continues the important task ahead of it: to address the security and budget issues that have arisen out of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.”
Swift hopes acquiring new leadership at Massport will accelerate the attainment of this goal.
“There’s a lot of work to be done at Massport to regain the public’s confidence, to regain the credibility of the institution of Massport and Logan Airport as a facility, and [Cashman’s resignation] allows us to move forward,” Magazine said.
A replacement for Cashman has not yet been named as Swift works out the details for the union representative to the board.
“The statute as it stands and the Carter Commission are in conflict right now,” Magazine said.
In December, Marshall Carter, retired CEO of State Street Bank, headed a commission mandated by the governor to help reform Massport operations. The governor vowed to implement all of its conditions in the upcoming months.
Among many requirements, the Carter Commission calls for a reduction in charitable contributions, the addition of two board members and a labor representative with no ties to the Massport workers.
The last stipulation contradicts the Massport charter, which requires their board of directors to include a representative from a union whose members’ work is “directly and continually related to the scope of activity of the authority.”
Magazine said the governor’s office is working closely with its lawyers to negotiate between the conflicting statements.
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