Dispute over contract leads to drunken brawl between union, Superior officials

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Superior city council members’ decision to award a public contract to a non-union company turned into a barroom brawl during an encounter at a local saloon, leading to the arrest of two union officials.

The union leader Jeremy Browen, 42, of Summit, was arrested last week on charges of battery, criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct after he pushed Superior City Council Member Craig Sutherland through a railing outside a tavern and punched Superior City Council President Keith Kern in the face. Another union official, Adam Johnson, 38, of Duluth, Minnesota, was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct.

Browen is listed as president of the Northern Wisconsin Building and Construction Trades Council and Johnson is listed as a representative of Carpenters Local 361, based in Hermantown, Minnesota.

According to a police report, Browen and Johnson were “heavily intoxicated” when they confronted Kern and Sutherland at Jimmy’s Saloon in Superior after a council meeting on Aug. 7. The two were upset that the city council had previously voted to award plumbing, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning contracts to the non-union company KBK Systems, of Ashland, for the construction of a new city fire hall.

The fire-hall project drew union protests after KBK Systems submitted a low bid for the plumbing and HVAC work. Protesters argued that the selection of KBK violated the city’s responsible-bidders ordinance, which has a provision requiring that city contractors comply with federal “Davis-Bacon” prevailing-wage requirements. State lawmakers eliminated prevailing wages for local projects in 2015, but several local governments, including Superior, went on to adopt their own ordinances requiring compliance with the Davis-Bacon law.

Browen and Johnson spoke in favor of the responsible-bidder ordinance ahead of its adoption in May 2017. Browen did not return a request for comment by press time Tuesday; Johnson could not be reached for comment.

According to the police:

Witnesses said Browen and Johnson had attended a Superior City Council meeting the night before the fight, cheering loudly for opponents of an ordinance that would establish a new ATV trail. Afterward, they went to Jimmy’s Saloon, where Kern and Sutherland were drinking. The two began yelling at the council members, and berated a bartender at the tavern who also works for a non-union construction company.

After being asked to leave several times, Browen and Johnson got up and went, but returned about five minutes later. Outside the tavern, the two began yelling insults at Sutherland and Kern through an open window. Sutherland told police he went outside to calm them down when Browen pushed him through a wooden fence, causing about $750 worth of damage.

Kern followed Sutherland outside and Browen swung at him, striking him in the face. The two went to the ground and Browen held Kern in a headlock, before Kern broke free. Kern told the police he did not strike Browen during the tussle.

Johnson was scheduled to appear in Douglas County Circuit Court Tuesday afternoon, according to court records, and Browen has not yet been charged in the incident.

City Council members Sutherland and Kern declined to comment. Superior Mayor Jim Paine had not returned a message seeking comment by press time. Follow @natebeck9