Union Leadership Corruption

John F. Kennedy condemned the leadership of American Labor Unions as corrupt. John and his brother Robert, “played a major role in uncovering and addressing endemic corruption in Labor organizations in the U.S. …Both men were significant players in the largest inquiry into corruption in organized labor unions, which took place in the late 1950’s. … The corrupt activities uncovered were dramatic, extensive and entrenched, and became the subject of a movie called “Hoffa”, President of the notorious International Brotherhood of Teamsters…Robert Kennedy wrote a book “The Enemy Within.”-codea.com.au. 8/3/14.

”The theme of the book was that the enemies of the labor movement were those limited number of corrupt officials who sought to exploit their positions of power and influence at the expense of members; not those who actually uncovered and addressed corrupt practices…The Landrum-Griffin Act of 1959, stated: “All officers of Labor Organizations, “occupy positions of trust” and “fiduciary responsibility” in relation to their organizations and its members.”-codea.com.au. 8/3/14.

“In commenting on the Landrum-Griffin Act, John Kennedy emphasized the particular maladies it was intended to eradicate, saying: “Of course, no bill, under our Constitution, can eliminate Jimmy Hoffa…(in fact, others did). But we can eliminate their conflict of interest transactions, their destruction of union books, their manipulation of trusteeships; their use of union funds to build personal financial empires, their private arrangements with employers and their falsification of union reports.”-codea.com.au. 8/3/14.

“ “Mokita” is the term used by the Trobriand Islanders of Papua New Guinea, for a truth that everybody knows, but no one talks about. Corruption is mokita in the AFL-CIO. For generations, in the construction, longshore, hospitality and teamster unions, mobsters have had more influence than the members in choosing the leaders; pension funds are stolen; bribes smooth the way for contractors to replace union members with lower-paid non-union workers. To control union wrongdoing, The Justice Dept. routinely resorts to the Federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, treating labor unions as criminal enterprises. In defense, union leaders provide politicians huge contributions; essentially for Get Out of Jail Free cards.”-npr.org. 2/6/2007.

In spite of laws trying to deter/prevent union officials from being corrupt, the Dept. of Labor’s (DOL) office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) has investigated and prosecuted union leaders for embezzling more than $100 million in union dues since 2001. …From 2000-2019, OLMS investigations led to over $156.3 million of restitution in over 2,100 criminal cases…OLMS investigations led to 2,297 indictments and 2,166 convictions…Investigations by the DOL’s Office of Inspector General, which investigates labor racketeering and organized crime’s influence within the labor movement, has resulted in more than $1 billion in fines, restitutions and forfeitures…fewer than 5 percent of unions audited by the DOL received unqualified passes.-unionfacts.com.

Conclusion: More than 95% of unions in America are corrupt, in their leadership, in one form or another. There is no apparent decrease in sight, since, in 2020, $68.1 million was paid in fines, restitutions, forfeitures and civil monetary actions. In 2020, 39 cases were opened, 60 cases closed, 37 cases were referred for prosecution, 80 indictments, 38 convictions.- OLMS stats. Union leadership corruption has been going on for years. Investigations into their corruption began in 1957, by Senator John McClellan (D-Ark.) “It focused on bribery, fraud, and other forms of racketeering in parts of the labor movement.”-ash. harvard.edu. The only answer seems to be longer prison sentences, higher fines, more confiscation of property bought and paid for, with union dues. The bigger the penalties, the less incentive for corruption. / Done