The Union Label - August 24, 2006
Posted on August 24, 2006 at 5:51 pm by Chuck Muth
THE GREATEST SCAM ON EARTH
“Union officials take dues from hard working men and women and then use it on politics without their permission,” writes Michael Reitz of the Evergreen Freedom Foundation. “While the union must allow teachers to reclaim the portion of their dues spent on political activity, the process is prohibitively difficult and confusing.
“Many workers simply ‘give up and pay’ out of frustration,” Reitz continues. “And even if they are able to opt-out, these workers are still required to pay agency fees, which the union illegally uses on… You guessed it! Politics.
“Unions even get employers to do the dirty work for them and deduct the dues directly from workers’ paychecks. Ladies and Gentlemen, it’s truly the Greatest Scam on Earth.”
To highlight the problems many workers suffer in trying to opt out of their union and the union’s political activities, EFF has created an internet “flash” game titled “The Greatest Scam on Earth” where players can “try their luck at opting out of the union.” Give it a whirl by going here…
ANOTHER BIG LABOR SUCK-UP
“The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act has been passed by both the U.S. House of Representatives (H.R. 22) and the U.S. Senate (S. 662). It’s possible – although far from certain – that Congress will work out the differences this Fall, and send a single version to the White House for signature.
“…In amending the present governance of USPS, both bills would require that ‘the (Board of) Governors shall represent the public interest generally’ and ‘shall not be representatives of specific interests using the Postal Service.’
“Unlike the Senate bill, however, the House bill mandates that one slot on the USPS Board of Governors be filled by an individual with unanimous backing by organized labor. This appears to be in direct conflict with the earlier requirement that Governors represent the public, and not special interests.
“If the Postal Board of Governors is required to include a labor advocate, then why not a consumer advocate as well?”
- Consumer Postal Council, August 2006
UNION DEFAMED HOSPITAL
“On July 21, a California jury ordered UNITE HERE to pay $17 million in damages for defaming Sutter Health, a chain of nonprofit hospitals. In an effort to pressure the medical chain into handing over its employees to the union, UNITE HERE officials scared away potential patients by sending alarmist postcards falsely warning that Sutter used linens that were inadequately cleaned. UNITE HERE’s legal penalty will be paid out of the forced dues of union members’ paychecks.”
- Union Facts, 7/31/06
TOP DONKEY TURNS STOOL PIGEON
“Former Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Peter Manous has agreed to a $125,000 settlement with a union that sued him over a $10 million real estate scam. In addition to the payment, Manous promises to testify against the three other defendants in the case. Manous is serving a 27-month sentence in federal prison for his role in defrauding the Carpenters Union pension board in the Coffee Creek land deal.”
- Associated Press, 7/28/06
LET’S HOPE THEY NAIL THIS GUY
“(Indiana) Attorney General Steve Carter is going after a former Northwest Indiana union official charged with pocketing $104,557 in state grant money and stealing another $43,084 from fellow carpenters. Paul Hernandez administered an apprenticeship program for the Hobart-based Carpenter’s Union Local 1105 in 1998, when he received a $203,000 state grant to establish a scaffolding safety program. Hernandez allegedly used some of the funds to pay himself as a safety instructor, but taught few, if any classes. Federal prosecutors indicted Hernandez last year and he awaits trial.”
- Munster Times, 8/18/06
UNION THUG SENTENCED IN NY
“A former union official who admitted he took part in efforts to intimidate people in western New York’s construction industry was sentenced Tuesday on a federal racketeering conviction. Salvatore Bertino, 54, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 51 months and ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution.”
- Newsday.com, 8/23/06
UNION CORRUPTION MARCHES ON
* On August 16, 2006, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Preston Nelson, former Treasurer of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union Local 305, pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds in the amount of $13,547.26.
* On August 10, 2006 Lois Carter, former treasurer of CWA-IUE Local 84101, signed an agreement to plead guilty to willfully failing to maintain records providing the necessary basic information and data to verify, explain, clarify, and check the accuracy and completeness of the local’s Form LM-3 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2003.
* On August 8, 2006, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, Boni L. Segura, former Secretary for Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 18, pled guilty to one count of embezzlement of union funds in the amount of $5,729.
- SOURCE: Office of Labor-Management Standards, 8/24/06
YOUR UNION DUES AT WORK
“Already facing a membership squeeze, South Florida’s leading hotel union is in the midst of an internal corruption probe targeting two top organizers, according to union officials and documents. Outside investigators accuse Unite Here Local 355’s president and secretary-treasurer of abusing their union expense accounts, filing bogus financial reports with the federal government and violating court orders barring the union from associating with certain criminals.”
- Miami Herald, 8/19/06
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
“…(W)e can’t go back to the 50’s when Unions were king. More than anything it was Union demands that drove businesses out of the country. Yet America has prospered and grown beyond the expectations of many.”
- Columnist Ken Hughes
