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Union Leader Accuses Segarra Campaign Manager of Accosting Him.

The subject line is explosive, “Segarra Campaign Chief Accosts Canty RE union vote – makes threats.” Union leader Leo Canty’s long message on a telephone encounter with Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra’s campaign manager, Phil Sherwood, has been circulating among politicos.

Canty writes that the Hartford Labor Council’s near miss in endorsing Democratic challenger Edward Vargas brought an international call from Sherwood, who is vacationing in Italy.  The council, according to Canty, met on July 6th and fell a few percentage points from the two thirds majority needed to endorse Vargas. (Unions often require more than a simple majority to act.) Sherwood, according to Canty, was not pleased with the result of the ballot.

Canty explains:

The day after the election – I received a call from Pedro Segarra’s campaign manager Phill Sherwood – (while at the time on vacation in Venice Italy) – who proceeded to chew me out for playing a key role in messing up the Hartford Labor Council endorsement for Segarra.  I was accused of fronting the effort to work against Segarra and threatened with various dire consequences regarding appointments and union issues when “Pedro was elected” in response to. I know Phil Sherwood from previous campaigning and Sherwood expressed high levels of disappointment by my actions and felt the need to call me, voice his views…and let me know about the consequences of my actions against his candidate..

 I appropriately argued and told him that I was incredibly displeased by that call – and he can threaten all he wants…… it just made me question more if Segarra is not the right candidate for Hartford and sounded like an incredibly desperate campaign approach.

 I explained to Sherwood I cast my local union votes in particular because of Segarrra’s bold position seeking to move 2500 of my union’s members to Hartford with his ” UConn Health Center goes to Hartford” proposal. Segarra never contacted us – we are the largest union at UCHC and in the top tier of GHLC locals and would have huge impact and consequences with a move like that which should legitimately be at least discussed with those affected by it – . But, Sherwood then blamed me for not contacting Segarra in advance of his newser announcing his bold plan – like I could read their minds that they were going to announce a plan like that. – More questions about the candidate’s validity…and the campaign approach

It’s a long message.  The Segarra campaign disputes Canty’s account.  In a written statement, Sherwood reposnds:

I spoke to Leo Canty and expressed my displeasure that his union had not supported my candidate, especially given Mayor Segarra’s record on labor and the fact that he has avoided layoffs. It would be a dereliction of my duty not to advocate for my candidate, but at no point during our telephone conversation did I make any threats of any kind. Hopefully those of us who support labor will all be working together during this election and in future ones.

Vargas has emerged as Segarra’s primary challenger as the field narrowed with Shawn Wooden’s withdrawal from the race for the four year term. Segarra became mayor last summer when incumbent Eddie Perez resigned after a jury convicted him of corruption.