Sept. 11, 2018 ( Courtesy of CBC.ca) – A local union is suing a former employee, alleging she wrote herself cheques and forged signatures to steal more than $100,000 from the union’s coffers over her time with the organization.

In a statement of claim filed in the Court of Queen’s Bench in Winnipeg, Unifor Local 755 alleges Gloria Bonne forged cheques and ultimately defrauded its predecessor, the Canadian Auto Workers Local 4215, of $106,750.15.

Bonne was Local 4215’s financial secretary and chairperson when the alleged frauds occurred.

Attempts to reach Bonne for comment were unsuccessful

The statement of claim says between January 2009 and Aug. 31, 2012, Bonne wrote herself more than 200 cheques claiming reimbursement for things including “union days,” “honorariums,” “parking and mileage” and “per diem.”

The union says Bonne wrote, signed and issued the cheques after forging or fraudulently obtaining the signature of a second signing authority.

“Bonne, in presenting the said cheques to financial institutions intended to and did induce the payment of Local 4215’s funds to Bonne personally for her own personal benefit,” reads the statement of claim.

“Local 4215 relied on the fraudulent misrepresentations made by Bonne in honouring the cheques and has thereby suffered loss and damage.”

The statement of claim goes on to say Bonne resigned from her position as financial secretary and chairperson with Local 4215 Aug. 31, 2012, around the same time she found out an upcoming audit of the union’s finances.

It was during the audit that the union says it discovered the alleged fraud.

None of the allegations against Bonne have been proven in court.