I was raped by Tom Chase, who I later found out was long and well known to have this problem. There must be other victims out there! I was set to be "trained" by Tom Chase months after my hire, buy the UFCW international, because they didn't deem me worthy to file a simple grievance or negotiate. I was excited, but Tom didn't want to talk about business much, and wasn't good at answering my serious questions, such as why didn't Whitefish still have a contract! He and my boss only had high school educations, if that, and didn't really seem to care about real issues. He did talk about how to max out your expense accounts, bars, Harleys,..... while my job was to chase down kids making minimum wage with no benefits or some even without a contract! I ended up drunk after showing him around My home base (which I wasn't well versed at-not going to bars much), then going to his hotel to pick up literature. The rest is too hard to make public now, but it was stupid and ugly. Now I'm sorry I didn't hurt him. I even had a Glock 9 in my briefcase, but never thought of it, and don't even know if I could have used it. Denial? Shock? My inner thighs were not purple, they were black. Witness saw my bruises, yet none were contacted by the EEOC (I'm angry at them to for deciding my case had no merit because she found Nicolai own secretary/girl Friday "more believable" when Toni Wood and Josselyn in Nicoli's office KNEW, AND ACTED SYMPATHETIC toward my need to stay away from Chase, but chose to do his bidding) or "my" own attorneys. I had tons of witnesses who saw the bruises, and went to friends houses so they could hear me later ask Nicoli how the hell Chase knew when I would be in my office, where he could close the door, and try to assault me again, causeing my bruises. Was I supposed to be a whore for Local 4? I heard stories, such as a Kallispel man who committed suicide due to Chase's involvement with his wife, and even another rep told me how Chase got abusive and jealous of his wife, and sent her to their room at functions, so he could freely flirt. Even years after my fight, I've had women call me about the uncomfortable bar and motel arrangements, tell me Nicolai tells them I was just a "slut", and ask for advice. I have none. Even my Boss, Nicolai Cocergin,president of local 4 laughed when I tried to tell him Chase was way out of line, and I could be around him ever again. Nicolai laughingly told me "Yup, Tom's like that, aint he. ha ha!" As a union rep., we lived/worked out of motels and even my job interview ended in a bar. Yet when it came time to describe my rape... going to his motel room drunk...... I knew no one would believe me, and I was very ashamed. I loved my job helping members and getting them excited about their role, so I didn't want to go to the cops, or make a stink, just assertively told Nicolai that this was SERIOUS: if Tom Chase was in my area, he didn't know where I was exactly".
After my own lawyers sold me out (deposing me for 3 days, from around 8 am to 8 pm, with the most embarrassing questions and irrelevant questions you can imagine (bad enough when my attorneys told me to go ahead and answer questions about sexual partners, underwear, birth control, but loss of virginity? every sex act I've ever performed???, then going after info on my kids.... (they broke me!). My own attorney, Maureen Lennon, was yelling at me as I was sobbing, refusing to answer irrelevant but embarrassing questions about my adult childrens' psychiatric and sexual history that they didn't have the choice I did in making public record. I'm proud of my daughters, but I objected on very reasonable principals, which showed me "my" attorneys were not helping me. Tom Chase was only deposed a few hours, and nothing was asked about his relationships, even the obvious cheating he'd been busy doing for years on his wife and otherwise abuse of her. They had obviously made a deal with opposing attorney, Mike Melloy (who I thought was the good guy....defending labor and the Democratic party). I was in legal 'no man's land', with labor attorneys not wanting the case because Union's made up the bulk of their business, and corporate attorneys often stating conflict of interest. I was in HELL for over a year, and my resume was shot as well. Nicolai Cocerigin sent out a statewide "news letter" looking for anyone with dirt on me, and found a constant complainer, who even complained to me about Nicolai, who said I was so drunk in her store I was knocking over shelves...... which is completely impossible, given the way Store Owners would watch me like a hawk for anything I might do to "interrupt business", and the surveillance staff and cameras to do so. This unstable woman, Carol, gets her testimony heard, yet none of my witnesses, even witnesses from Carol's own store, were contacted! Even the press and shrinks didn't want to touch me for fear of such a contentious court case, with attorneys showing up from both coasts. Nicolai even broke into my home, stole my computer (which had personal, but irrelevant information on it but also had my journal of times, places, statements), tried to act like he was a cop doing a necessary search of my home, even my bedroom, and tried to take recyclable tincture bottles (for lack of booze bottles or sexy lingerie or sex toys?) I was saving for herbalists, before my Great Dane, Ika, helped me convince him to leave my home. However, He didn't leave my property, so I called the police, who told me I had to let him keep the computer, and take the company car without taking my personal belongings out of it. I felt like the cop rewarded Nicolai for breaking into my house without notice to tell me I was fired. I got fired, and Chase got a raise the same year?! I know I'm rambling, but thanks for letting me vent. I know Chase has other victims out there, so perhaps this format could bring them together. I would have advice, but strength in numbers? My settlement stated I couldn't talk about this, but since part of that settlement was "affirmative relief" that stated the Union had to change their sexist ways, get training,... but Nicolai still calls me a "slut", Chase got a raise,..... I no longer give a damn, and have nothing to loose because they are the ones who are in the wrong.