Heritage Foundation Senior Policy Analyst in Labor Economics James Sherk writes: “The Obama Administration recently rolled back union financial transparency reforms. New regulations will exempt many union trust funds, such as strike funds and apprenticeship programs, from financial disclosure laws. These regulations also end financial reporting for many government unions.”
According to recent polling, 66 percent of union members believe their leaders mostly look out for themselves and a full 89 percent of them believe unions should disclose their spending. Sherk notes that Members of UFCW Local 7 in Colorado recently voted out their President after they learned he gave his children six-figure jobs on the union payroll.
But there is something the next Congress can do. Sherk recommends:
Congress already has the tools to prevent these reforms from being rolled back: The Congressional Review Act allows Congress to overturn newly issued federal regulations. Congress has only until early April to invoke this authority. Congress should force the President to publicly choose between union members and self-interested union leaders. Rank-and-file union members deserve to know where the President stands.
The words of our President, Barack Hussain Obama.
My Administration is committed to creating an unprecedented level of openness in Government. We will work together to ensure the public trust and establish a system of transparency, public participation, and collaboration. Openness will strengthen our democracy and promote efficiency and effectiveness in Government.
Hey Heritage Foundation!!!
Partner up with the National Legal Policy Center [NLPC], they have all the goods on Union Corruption. [See: nlpc.org]
Talk with the Principle Officer Ken Boehm, Chairman,I'm sure he'll be glad to aid in this endevor jointly, I've spoken to the Gentleman, and he can certainly make a difference in this cause and much, much more.
National Legal and Policy Center
107 Park Washington Court
Falls Church, Virginia 22046
Tel: (703) 237-1970
Fax: (703) 237-2090
If and when it is decided to contact me via e-mail please indicate that it is in relationship to this post. I have more information and ideas concerning the combating of union corruption concerning the Mobbed-Up Teamsters Union in the Mobbed-Up City Of Chicago amoung others as well as the flaws in Federal Labor Law and in particular Statutes of Limitations for "Causes Of Action" to redress corruption.
Waiting for your response.
Or have New Congress lobby for this since poll shows most Union members DO NOT side with Union Mgmt on issues.
Fodder for New Congress alone
Unions have been needed and are organizations that are not needed anymore. With the changes in social policies, the awesome advances in leadership and management information and proof that the employees are the most important part of any business, the need for the employees to be "protected" from the employers is as ancient as using blood letting to cure diseases that astound the medical community. The unions perpetuate a give me something as I deserve it because I have a job instead of the fact that productive employees are rewarded and need no protection by the government or massive powerful unions that create division between the work force and management. It is time to move on and realize that unions are not for anyone other than the leaders of the union and are going to put more companies out of business instead of helping our economy. There is no ethical basis for the unions and politicians (like the recent Alaska governors='s race), are in need of unions to get votes. I am amazed that this issue is so out of control.
Government employees are the ewmployees of "We the cPeople". It is outrageous that the Union leaders can BRIBE political Office holders or candidates for Office and those politions can turn arounde ande provide unbelievably high salary ans benefits to t5hose employees. In the private sector BRIBING a government official for a benefit gets you in jail.. This administration was elected with monumental efforts and money provided by Unions regardless of members positions on political matters. The information necessary for members and the public to know must not be restricted so as to make it easier for thewse Union Leadesrs TO CONTINUE TO MISUSE THEIR POWER OVER THE PURSE STRINGS WHICH ARE UNBELIEVABLY HOLDING TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF MEMBERS MONEY.!!!
For as long as I can remember, union leaders and their friends in the Democrat Party have touted their support of the working class. The truth of the matter is that the workers are exploited by both. The Dems can almost always count on a block vote from union members and the union leaders have become fat cats in their own right while plundering their unions treasuries, and members, to support their favorite politicians. The fat cats get fatter and the rank and file get poorer while being told to shut up and tow the line. I'm a union member and I pay $12 a month plus 2% of my weekly gross to the union. There is no union pension or medical benefit associated with membership. The only time I even see a union rep is every two or three years when a contract is negotiated. Since I've been a member, about half of every pay raise goes to the union. Such a deal!
You never see a union rep?Do u ever go to your union hall?Do you ever go to a union meeting?Do you happen to maybe have the things people like to use to talk to one another to call your rep?Maybe being a union member is not for you,quit then.
It's just like this Socialist president to pull something like this. Exempting unions from filing financial disclosure documents. What a nice quiet little victory for the Socialists. Is anyone paying attention to the slow and methodical steps the Progressives are taking to replace Americas values with their own?
How about a federal law making every state a right to work state? Why should people be forced to join unions in order to work? Right to work would get people off the union rolls that don't want to be on them.
The UNIONS are controling Obamo and both houses in Washington. They are trying to control every private and govermental job in the USA and aboard.
If you don't agree to join they strong arm you
AS a retired Union Member of 40 + years in the Paper Industry take my word for it, WE need some one to mind the CHICKEN HOUSE!!!!!!!!
Perhaps it is time to label Unions a religious following?
“The truth is more important than the facts." – Frank Lloyd Wright
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” Ronald Reagan
Obamaommunist Kabuki Democracy
I believe that a good portion of the $1.4 billion allotted for Mr. Obama's Chavez-type police force will be comprised of SEIU and "Acorn" members.
I don't believe the GOP has the courage to take on the unions. I would welcome union membership to take a stand against their leadership. Unions have come a long way from the did good things standing up for worker safety in the coal mines…now they are power hungry, they support global governance and are heavily supported by leftist organizations. Union workers, please wake up
http://www.laborunionreport.com/portal/2010/12/%e…
JFK opened the door to public sector unions…look at where we are now. The most powerful union is the public sector. Even FDR was against public sector unions. It makes no sense for unions to have bargaining power against the taxpayer, it's wrong.
I strongly believe that union is responsible for the biggest mess it has created. We need to abolish the unions & they should not have a strong hold with white house. Also card check must be implemented.
The immirgation laws need to be reformed by eliminating claus such as non American parent giving birth to their child get right away citizen status. All illegal Mexicans should be on the back line for imigration. Thousands of other country nationals wait for over 10 years, what does that tell about America? Cheaters can prosper.
FCC & IRS should be abolished. I can go on & on.
The new congress must stop spending immediately until we get up on own our 2 feet & after that must work on the absolute necessary spending. we need to stop giving money to other countries until we solve our own house.
Your not going to do a thing about corruption in unions, when the unions support the corruption in government–.
I encourage someone to prove my statement incorrect ~
Happy Holidays~
The unions are no different than "We the people". The POTUS needs to respect union MEMBERS not, union leaders. Wake up Mr President and correct this, before union leaders get any more powerful than they already are. In today's economy no financial regulations need to be exempt.
I hope the new congress uses the Congressional Review Act to overturn the new federal regulations. I think we all know Mr. Obama will choose the self-interested union leaders, I believe it is all about the campaign donations for Mr. Obama. I feel he is an elitist a does not truly care about the union worker. Whatever comes out of his mouth, is the opposite of how he really feels.
He is no leader.
Does anyone with half a brain believe that Obama will reveal what finances the unions have? He is so beholden to them that he will do anything in his power to protect them and their finances
I WONDER IF MR OBAMA CAN TAKE BOTH SIDES ON THIS ONE. HE WILL TRY I’M SURE.
Can we also overturn the newly implemented TSA gate rape regulations and the FCC's expected gag on first amendment rights- the new 'fairness doctrine'- under this Congressional Review Act? Just wondering if we're missing the boat and are allowing too many unconstitutional acts to continue through ignorance of the possibilities available to us. We the people rule, if we WILL. Also, the mere idea of a publicly employed 'worker' being able to organize against the taxpayer paying them is insanity already- how did we sink so low? Obviously we need to demand openness in these unions, but even better, how about we break them up and stop funding our own demise?
There is a simple way to solve public employee union abuses. As Sherk has written earlier, we should legislate the public employee compensation and benefits packages to be indexed to the private sector.
Put in a range, so public employees are protected from being paid too low and the American taxpayer is protected from them being paid too much. Public workers should not be paid more than the private sector.
Ideals would even say that someone who works for the public sector should also be contributing something from themselves for the greater good, some that argument would suggest a slightly lower pay scale. Public employment offers much in getting a career jumpstarted and provides a place for near retirees a place to go to contribute their garnished knowledge and experience to the greater good. In that, I would also legislate overall public service time limits – at least at the federal level. Long-term employees often obtain far too much power in their positions. People call for term limits on congress. This ideal should also be applied to federal workers. It keeps the federal workforce fresh and energized. Public work should be considered something like a professional worker corps. Like the Peace Corps, you do not want to spend your entire career there, just part of it. Legislating time limits to federal workers would keep that workforce from amassing the power it has now.
Last step would be to take all the current employee handbooks and consolidate them. Put it through public review and make a standard public employee handbook, which can be used, nationwide. This has to be a reasonable policy manual that addresses most of employee needs.
The final part of the legislation would then be to ban unions from representing the public workforce at all levels. Unions and the growing greed within the public workforce are proving to be destroying the economic standing of this nation. Employees can still join associations if they so wish, but it will not be mandatory and these associations will not have bargaining rights. If we legislate the compensation and benefits package and limit the time a person can work for the government, we would have essentially rendered the union a non-essential.
When I would promise to do something my mother would say "talk is cheap, actions are what counts" BHO talks alot but has no action. If th American Indians were around they would say he speaks with a forked tongue. I saw this when he was campaghing and I don't see how intelligent people who must hear his promises etc, then turn around and support him.. I also don't understand how anyone can vote "Party" knowing the party is doing the exact opposite of what they believe. I am a Republican and a conservative but I would not vote for a republican who showed he didn't believe in coservative, Christian views. Biden is just as bad as BHO, now we need to get behind Hannity and Co. to make sure BHO is a one term president, and hold this incoming Congress to their promises to cut the pork and spending.
Being a retired Paper Union Member of 40 + years I have seen the corruption in Local and Intl Unions. Now my question to you is how is the most CORRUPT entity in the USA going to fix anything. Pelosi-Reid-Feinstein and the pork barrel Republicans of late broke most pledges they ever made. They fit in with the pork barrel oil barons with 30 billion profits. They can hardly wait until prices get to $6.00 a gallon to compete with Obama in the trillions!!!!
It should be against the law to belong to a union if their salaries come from taxes collected from the tax payer period!
There is a bill being considered by the Senate RIGHT NOW that would unionize public safety workers. This would include firefighters, police officers, ambulance workers, etc.
Keep something in mind: This doesn’t give public safety workers the ability or power to unionize. It mandates that they join unions. Basically, five or six Republicans have joined with Democrats in forcing an expansion of the Democratic donor base and turn-out machine.
So why does this bill matter? Well, with states facing huge deficits, government employee compensation — which constituted half the costs of state and local governments in 2008 — can impact how states choose to balance their budgets. If there’s little ability to decrease or freeze pay and benefits for public employees, states are forced to slash spending elsewhere. And it’s not just current compensation that’s an issue, but future pensions: the Pew Center on States estimates that states already have a $1 trillion gap between what they have set aside for pensions and how much they’ve promised workers.
In addition to exacerbating states’ fiscal woes, the legislation could also increase the number of strikes by public employees and encourage seniority, not merit, as the basis for salary raises.
So if you don't like what unions have done to our country, you need to write to your Senator and tell him what you want him to do when this bill comes up for a vote!
Ban the public employee unions, period. Enact a law that bars from the unions from funding political elections because union activities for which they collect dues must strictly go to that effort. Public emplyers are taxpayers and it should be illegal in colluding with the politicians against the interests of the taxpayers.
However, the DC corruption is so thick that none of the 'right' decisions by the taxpayers will happen there.
How can we stop the abuse of UNIONS…. Unions are not the abusers…those they hire to beg barter and pay off in the House and Sentate are the people we should be looking at. Now lets us look at the unions for the last few years…the information I am givin may not be accurate and should not be published unless the person has verified all the information. No one can use this information…Dont try. As I see this the "Unions" should have given up a portion of their pay…1% for the company each year the company resulted in a overall loss. Now if the company lost money that year then fine, but it would have to be stipulated in the contract on the amount for each employee. Now when the company made money, then the money that the employees paid into the fund to keep the corporation alive would not only have to be repaid, but also given interst. NOW…..my PERSONAL FEELINGS If the company is paying its management multi-million dollar bonuses….I say "where is your heart" Why make the people who earned you the money pay anything…when you dont. It all depends on the company at hand. The government can make laws that just make companys, corporations more money or pay more money, but does the government see what a resonsible corporation is doing? NO. They as well as the rest of us need to contact our CONGRESSMAN and SENATORS in our state and continue to provide them the things that are WORKING!!! IT IS EASY to say that stuff is not working, but if you dont have a solution to the problem…..why complain. WE ARE SMARTER than whom we elect. It is up to US to make that person see our side. DO WE NEED special persons in WASHINGTON…….NO… We can do it by our vote. Unions GREAT….take too much…sorry cant SUPPORT. CORPORATIONS…give some things up…..Spread the wealth on the end of the year…..GIVE US ALL A BREAK BY NOT LYING TO ALL THE UNION EMPLOYEES. Remember an uneducated employee does still gets a tax return….HMMMMMMM and makes 60,000 a year and doesnt file. YOU tell me where the money goes. I hope that all will be there to help that person out an let them know how much they can claim in a Government that wont TAX a UNION member. BE FAIR to every American…..Union, Non-Union, and the Military…if it is fair for one…fair for all.