As it was a federal indictment, not retirement, that precipitated the departure of the old boss, perhaps it is understandable that the blunt-spoken new one, Ed Ott, interim executive director of the New York City Central Labor Council, is not exactly in his element just yet in the office involuntarily bequeathed to him by Brian M. McLaughlin. Mr. Ott must now stand tall as the leader of 400 union locals and a membership of one million workers; his first act is to make amends to the folks whose union dues give the council its policy-making leverage.
See "The Accidental Union Boss", Robin Finn, The New York Times, October 26, 2006