On May 5, 1964, as the Building Service Employees International Union met in Los Angeles, a battle was looming for control of Marina City.

David Sullivan would be re-elected president of the union at the convention. William L. McFetridge, who voluntarily stepped down as president four years earlier after 20 years of service, wanted full control of Marina City. He did not want to share that responsibility with the other unions that had invested in the project. Either they would sell their share to him at a 25 percent return on investment or McFetridge would sell his local’s share to them at the same rate of return.

McFetridge (left) and Sullivan (right) went back. In 1945, McFetridge got Sullivan removed as head of Local 32B in New York. Then later brought him back and even recommended him as his replacement in 1960.

But in 1964, they disagreed over financing and management of Marina City, which at the time was 88 percent rented. There were allegations and counter-allegations. One thing was certain – McFetridge was losing control of the union he once led.

There had been speculation that McFetridge would try to regain leadership, but in the end he did not challenge Sullivan’s re-election. And the next day, McFetridge gave up his fight to air his charges of corruption before the convention. Instead, the union’s executive board would hear the charges behind closed doors in Washington, D.C., on June 3.

Unfortunately for McFetridge, David Sullivan – and George Fairchild, who as head of Local 4 had been accused by McFetridge of stealing union members from his Local 1 – led the executive board. McFetridge had two allies on the board but was told on May 6 that neither of them would be supported for their re-election bids the following day.

McFetridge also resigned as advisor and consultant to the union, a $15,000 per year (equivalent to more than $115,000 per year today) job he had held since retiring as president. He was still president of Local 1 of the Chicago Flat Janitors union, in addition to being president of Marina City Building Corporation.

He told the convention he needed to devote more time to Marina City and could not handle the additional duties as advisor and consultant. But he told the Chicago Tribune, “It is not fair for dues paying members of the union to have to put up $15,000 a year for my salary and expenses as an advisor if my advice isn’t being asked nor heeded.”

The convention authorized the executive board to consider McFetridge’s offers to either buy or sell Marina City.