A state judge has refused to dismiss a defamation suit by four American Airlines employees who were allegedly portrayed as racists during a 2002 union election campaign by a rival faction of workers.
Plaintiffs John Sullivan, John Kennedy, David Virella and Vincent Argentina, at the time incumbent officers of Air Transport Local 501, claimed they were falsely accused of racism in campaign flyers distributed by defendants Michael Chiofalo, Albert Gill and Peter Perez, challengers for the union posts.
