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Let's look at corporate America -- Enron and Worldcom come immediately to mind. How many millions did they steal from shareholders and employees?
Let's look at Congress, no stranger to corruption, especialy with corporate special interests and lobbyists doling out money and favors like candy in exchange for exceptions from or repeal of regulations that protect U.S. citizens.
Let's look at the White House, which has lied us into a war that has cost thousands of American lives, hundreds of thousands of Iraqi lives and trillions of dollars when its all said and done. Corrupt, I'd say so, when Bush supporters such as the CEO of Blackwater, KBR and Halliburton profit from no-bid contracts as solidiers die in unprotected Humvees and without adequate body armor.
When comparing the trillions of dollars stolen from American workers and citizens over the past decade to the thousands allegedly stolen by corrupt union leaders, I would say democratically elected unions are far less corrupt than nondemocratic corporations and other institutions.
The fact is, this administration and the Republican party has gone after Labor because of its support for Democrats. Period. Look at the lack of regulation given to our financial markets, CEOs, environmental issues, worker safety issues, and compare that to the amount of regulation heaped upon unions. The motive is clear.
So you can attempt to impugn others' motives all you want, but if there's criminal corruption going on in the unions, as there so obviously is, it deserves to be investigated and rooted out whenever possible.
But as to how much union corruption there is? Here's a sample of headlines........and it's only a SMALL sample:
AFL-CIO Files Suit to Block New Financial Reporting Rule (2/25/2008)
S.F. Federal Judge Issues Injunction against 'No-Match' Mailing (10/22/2007)
S.F. Federal Court Again Delays No-Match Letter Mailings (10/8/2007)
Top Aide to Secretary-Treasurer Charged with Theft (8/13/2007)
Senate Blocks Card-Check Bill; Supporters Vow They'll Be Back (7/16/2007)
Union Bosses, Researchers Distort Data to Push Card-Check Bill (6/18/2007)
Pension-Backed Film Studio in New Mexico Target of Fraud Suit (6/4/2007)
Federation Split May Have Little Effect on Corruption (8/1/2005)
Calif. Unions Find Loophole through Landrum-Griffin (3/28/2005)
9-11 Lay-Off Fund Ripped Off (4/12/2004)
Silicon Valley Union Accused of Embezzlement & Illegal Politicking (4/12/2004)
Long Island Fedtn, Investigating Theft of Funds (3/29/2004)
Exec. Council Meets in Hotel Boondoggle Fed with Union Pensions
Frmr. NO Secy. Sentenced for Embezzlement
Ex-Ofc. Secy. in New Orleans `Fesses to Embezzling Charge Accts, Petty Cash
New Orleans Staffer Accused of $2,300 Embezzlement (5.12 06/10/02)
Watchdog Calls on Tainted Bosses to Resign (5.11 05/27/02))
Building Trades Avoid Split, Growing ULLICO Scandal Cited (5.9 04/29/02)
Campaign Finance Regulator Mess in San Diego, Tainted Unions Fight Back (5.9 04/29/02)
ULLICO Scandal Grows: Maddaloni, McCarron, Bahr Sold Shares (5.8 04/15/02)
Grand Jury Probing Union Bosses' Tainted Stock Offer (5.7 04/01/02)
Judge Keeps AFL-CIO Documents Secret (5.1 01/07/02)
Convention Sides Against Rank-and-File (4.26 12/17/01)
Wisconsin Staffer Confined for $44,000 Theft (4.25 12/03/01)
Finally, Mary Jo White to Go (4.24 11/19/01)
I especially liked the one where the 9/11 fund was ripped off.
Enjoy paying your union dues to corrupt union bosses........
(SHHHHHHH. The union doesn't want you to talk about this one)
Colorado Local Treasurer Arrested for Theft
Kristen Prevedel thought her secret was safe with a friend. It's a good thing for members of the Falcon Teachers Education Association that it wasn't. Prevedel, a language-arts teacher at Skyview Middle School in Falcon, a suburb of Colorado Springs, and also the association's treasurer until this July, went to dinner with a fellow teacher, a next-door neighbor at that. At the restaurant, she told her friend that she'd written about $50,000 worth of union checks to herself at the behest of then-union President Tom Wilke, who said he was changing banks; Wilke told her to keep the cash until a new account was set up. Shortly thereafter, her friend informed police of the conversation. That led to the arrest of Prevedel on August 24 on suspicion of felony theft of $90,750, a sum representing 48 checks written out during 2005 and this year.
Prevedel, alleges the arrest affidavit, also falsified financial reports, including information about funds she presumably had forwarded to the Colorado Education Association. The Falcon association had fallen behind by about $87,000 in payments to the state association and its parent, the National Education Association. Prevedel was supposed to have been sending $14,000 a month in local funds to the state and national associations. Independent of the arrest, the local is considering legal action. But it's also sent the word out to rank and file that mum's the word. An association letter stated: "We ask that you keep this matter in confidence and that you not discuss it with nonmembers, representatives of the school district, or others outside the district." It's too bad Prevedel hadn't thought of that one first. Wilke, for his part, thus far has not been charged.
Beyond newspaper accounts of union corruption, the Department of Labor's Office of Labor Management Standards (OLMS) investigates and prosecutes union bosses who embezzle members dues. Since 2001, OLMS has prosecuted dozens of cases against UFCW locals and has recovered hundreds of thousands of dollars in embezzled union member dues. Below are the OLMS's UFCW case reports.
UFCW 717 Amount Embezzled: $14,000.00
On March 24, 2006, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, Rebecca Bandt, former President of United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 717, was sentenced to six months in prison followed by three months in a community treatment center and three years probation. Bandt was also ordered to make full restitution to the union. On January 13, 2006, Bandt pled guilty to embezzling more than $14,000 from the union. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
UFCW 990 Amount Embezzled: $20,385.00
On February 2, 2006, in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, Stephen L. Bush, former Recording Secretary for Food and Commercial Workers Local 990 was sentenced to six months home detention with electronic monitoring and five years probation. Bush was also ordered to make restitution of $20,385.98 and to pay a special victims' fund assessment of $400. On October 6, 2005, Bush pled guilty to four counts of embezzling union funds. Bush is the son of former Local 990 President, Ronald A. Bush, who also pled guilty to embezzling union funds. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office.
UFCW 717 Amount Embezzled: $14,065.00
On January 13, 2006, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, Rebecca Bandt, former President of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 717, pled guilty to one count of embezzling union funds totaling $14,065. Bandt had previously been indicted on September 14, 2005, in a 14-count indictment consisting of five counts of embezzling union funds, five counts of falsifying union records, and four counts of making a false statement on a required report. The guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
UFCW 538 Amount Embezzled: $30,210.92
On November 29, 2005, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, Michael Rice, former President of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 538, was sentenced to six months imprisonment, six months home confinement, three years probation, and ordered to make full restitution, for embezzling union funds totaling $30,210.92. Rice entered a guilty plea on September 19, 2005. The conviction follows an investigation by the OLMS Milwaukee District Office.
UFCW 990 Amount Embezzled: $1,967.00
On June 29, 2005, in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, Ronald A. Bush, former president of Local 990, United Food and Commercial Workers, pled guilty to four counts of embezzling $1,967 in union funds. Bush's guilty plea follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office. [Related documents: HTML | PDF]
UFCW 1050 and 1052 Amount Embezzled: $91,126.00
On April 5, 2005, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, Angelous "Smokey" Lineback, former international representative for the United Food and Commercial Workers, Retail Wholesale (UFCW) District Council, was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment followed by 36 months of supervised probation. In addition, he was ordered to make restitution in the amount of $77,441.00 to UFCW Local 1050 and $13,685.00 to UFCW Local 1052. On May 3, 2004, Lineback pled guilty to embezzling union funds and falsifying union records for the two locals he was representing following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
UFCW 990 Amount Embezzled: $9,806.80
On January 14, 2005, in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, Grace Maldonado, former bookkeeper of Local 990, United Food and Commercial Workers, was sentenced to five years of supervised probation for embezzling union funds. She was ordered to pay a $100 court assessment and make restitution in the amount of $9,806.80. Maldonado pled guilty on September 3, 2004, following an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office.
UFCW 990 Amount Embezzled: $27,248.82
On December 14, 2004, in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado, Barbara Ann Hayes, former bookkeeper of Local 990, United Food and Commercial Workers, was sentenced to six months home detention enforced by electronic monitoring and five years probation. Hayes was also ordered to pay a $100 court assessment and make restitution in the amount of $27,248.82. On May 17, 2004, Hayes pled guilty to embezzlement following an investigation by the OLMS Denver District Office. [Related documents: HTML | PDF]
UFCW 294 Amount Embezzled: $3,672.84
On June 8, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, Brian Brabazon, former president of Chemical Workers Local 294 (United Food and Commercial Workers), was sentenced for making a willful false entry in union records. Brabazon pled guilty to the charge on March 5, 2004. He was initially indicted in September 2003, on one count of embezzling union funds; he later pled guilty to the lesser charge. Brabazon was sentenced to one year of probation, restitution in the amount of $3,672.84, and a $100 fine (which was waived). The guilty plea and sentence follow an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office.
UFCW 1050 Amount Embezzled: $182,443.00
On May 3, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, a two-count information was filed against Angelous "Smokey" Lineback, former international representative for Retail, Wholesale District Council of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, Local 1050. The information charged him with one count of embezzling $182,443 in union funds and one count of making false entries in union records. On the same date, Lineback entered a plea agreement and pled guilty. The charge and subsequent plea follow an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
UFCW 1116 Amount Embezzled: $53,570.00
On April 16, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, Julie Palmi, former bookkeeper of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1116, was sentenced to six months home confinement with work release privileges and three years probation. In addition, she was ordered to make full restitution. Palmi pled guilty on January 21, 2004, to one count of embezzling approximately $53,570 in union funds. An information charging Palmi with embezzlement was filed on October 16, 2003. This case was transferred from the District of Minnesota to the Southern District of California pursuant to the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure and the consent of the parties. The charge, guilty plea, and sentence follow an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office.
UFCW 1101 Amount Embezzled: $9,987.00
On March 11, 2004, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, James Robinson, former president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1101, was placed on two years probation for failing to maintain union records. He was ordered to complete restitution to the union in the amount of $9,987. Robinson pled guilty to the charge on December 9, 2003. The guilty plea and sentence follow an investigation by the OLMS New Orleans District Office.
UFCW 655
On October 17, 2003, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri, Nick A. Torpea, former business agent for Food and Commercial Workers Local 655, was sentenced to one year probation and fined $750 for making a false entry in union records. Torpea pled guilty to the charge on July 30, 2003. Torpea's sentencing followed the September 18, 2003, sentencing of his father, Nick J. Torpea, to three years probation for making a false statement to a Department of Labor investigator. The sentencing follows an investigation by the OLMS St. Louis District Office.
UFCW 193 Amount Embezzled: $7,000.00
On February 14, 2002, in Kings County (California) Superior Court, Robert S. Ramos, former president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 193-I, entered a plea of no contest to misdemeanor theft and was sentenced to one year in the county jail and three years of supervised probation and was fined $2,700. He was also required to pay $6,000 in restitution ($1,000 was previously paid) over the next three years. The charges had been brought on November 1, 2001, following an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco District Office.
UFCW 427 Amount Embezzled: $13,218.46
On January 30, 2002, in the United States District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, Roger Causby, former secretary-treasurer of Food and Commercial Workers Local 427, was sentenced to four months imprisonment and four months home detention, followed by two years of supervised probation. He had earlier pled guilty to embezzling union funds and had made restitution of $13,218.46. The charges had been brought following an investigation by the OLMS Nashville District Office.
"After hearing from state employees that Colorado WINS is aggressively trying to organize an election, Face The State attempted to attend an on-site meeting between the union and state employees. Face The State had cleared its attendance with Dawn Lee, the media contact at Colorado WINS. Then minutes before the meeting, Lee contacted FTS to say that the government building where it was being held had restricted access and she was unable to clear the attendance of a FTS staff writer without performing a background check, for which there was not enough time.
In response, FTS contacted Julie Postlethwait, the public information officer for the Department of Personnel, to confirm Lee's claim. Postlethwait said that FTS's presence at the meeting was not a problem, yet when FTS staff writer, Rachel Boxer, arrived to cover the meeting, she was denied access at the door. After Boxer identified herself by name, a DPA employee told her she was not allowed into the meeting and needed to leave the building "immediately."
According to Postlethwait, Colorado WINS had directed DPA staff to deny FTS access to its public meeting - an action that directly conflicted with the department's orders. Postlethwait apologized to FTS for the breakdown in communication, and said that the reporter should have been let into the meeting."
Gee, how is it that union officials think that they can order around state agencies and deny reporters access to public meetings? Hmmmmm?
Okay, so there is some embezzlement here and there. But the real tragedy here is that the government is more worried about stopping the crime of someone embezzling $1,700 instead of enforcing child labor laws.
Seriously, getting worked up over union corruption when there are minimum wage violations to be prosecuted?! What is worse for society, some labor leaders stealing a little money, or some greedy businessman making 13 years olds work for less than minimum wage?
At the end of the day, unions try to help people, despite some bad apples. On the other hand, anti-union activists like Aurora councilman Ryan Frazier apparently are taking bribes in exchange for contracts. Frazier is one of the premier backers of the anti-family 'right to work' amendment here in CO. So he wants to drive down wages of working families while he is on the take. Real nice.
In a world of limited resources, you have to chose which bad guys you go after. Bush and co. have decided that union officials fighting for the working class are the primary target, not businesses, corporations, or officials trying to enrich themselves at the expense of hardworking working Americans (and in some cases, children).
It seems pretty obvious what group to go after, but apparently conservatives do not have common sense.
That was a masterpiece of understatement. Really. Thanks for the chuckle.
As a member of the press, aren't you concerned at all that the union is using such strongarm tactics against other members of the press?
Focus on what is more damaging. Union embezzlement is not the main problem facing the workplace today.
So which one is the biggest problem? I grant you that's not exactly a scientific survey, but it gives rise to a very strong suspicion that illegal union busting is a huge problem more in the minds of union organizers than it is in the real world.
24-6-402. Meetings - open to public.
(1) For the purposes of this section:
(a) "Local public body" means any board, committee, commission, authority, or other advisory, policy-making, rule-making, or formally constituted body of any political subdivision of the state and any public or private entity to which a political subdivision, or an official thereof, has delegated a governmental decision-making function but does not include persons on the administrative staff of the local public body.
(b) "Meeting" means any kind of gathering, convened to discuss public business, in person, by telephone, electronically, or by other means of communication.
(c) "Political subdivision of the state" includes, but is not limited to, any county, city, city and county, town, home rule city, home rule county, home rule city and county, school district, special district, local improvement district, special improvement district, or service district.
(d) "State public body" means any board, committee, commission, or other advisory, policy-making, rule-making, decision-making, or formally constituted body of any state agency, state authority, governing board of a state institution of higher education including the regents of the university of Colorado, a nonprofit corporation incorporated pursuant to section 23-5-121 (2), C.R.S., or the general assembly, and any public or private entity to which the state, or an official thereof, has delegated a governmental decision-making function but does not include persons on the administrative staff of the state public body.
(2) (a) All meetings of two or more members of any state public body at which any public business is discussed or at which any formal action may be taken are declared to be public meetings open to the public at all times.
OK, it was clearly a "meeting" by the definition in 1(b). Those who attended were members of a "state public body" as defined in 1(d), in that they were members of a formally constituted body of any state agency," and since an attempt to unionize state government officials and employees is obviously "public business" that was being "discussed," persuant to 2(a), I'd have to disagree with you.
Or perhaps some crack investigative reporter should look into this further....since they are "prohibited to hold meetings during working hours?"
I notice, Mr. Allport, that you are unable to refute or contradict even ONE fact that I have cited in support of my positions. I think that speaks for itself....and tells us a great deal about who is putting out "garbage" and who isn't.
But thanks for playing.
This isn't to say there wasn't a miscommunication problem. Obviously something was botched somewhere down the line to give a writer a wrong impression that she could attend the meeting. If this had happened to me, I'd probably be frustrated too. But it still doesn't appear to be illegal.
Protecting mine workers from deadly accidents is far more important than putting behind bars someone who embezzled $1,700.
The only rationale for the huge increase in chasing after union wrongdoing as opposed to other workplace issues is ideology and a political desire to crush unions.
I actually do not think illegal union busting is a huge problem. I do think that unions help workers, and everyone has a Constitutional right to join a union without harassment or threat of termination. The Republicans clearly do not think so, or they would have put the government's money into things other than cracking down on unions.
You cited someone being charged for embezzling $1,700. Do you know how much money it costs the government/state to prosecute a case like that? For crying out loud, the government has far better things to do and spend our tax dollars on crawling around in the weeds looking for a missing $1,700.
Winona Rider steals more than that in an afternoon.