Solidarity For Sale

Corrupt at the Root

Corruption pervades the American labor movement and always has. For five generations, organized crime, pension and benefit funds theft, job selling and various forms of labor racketeering have been standard operating procedure in American unions. Corruption means the use of public power for private ends. Some corruption is illegal, but some is within the law, such as nepotism or favoritism in hiring. Corruption in American labor unions is not limited to the leadership. The membership participates. In fact, the structure of American labor unions encourages such corruption. Union locals have the real power in the labor movement. Members pay dues to their locals, whose business agents decide who will not work, who will and for what wages. Like feudal barons, labor union bosses reward their loyal retainers, and the fate of the retainers depends on the fate of their bosses.

It is not unusual for the leader of a union local to earn a half-million dollar salary. It also isn't unusual for a Mafia family to run a union local like a small business, passing it from generation to generation. Labor leaders have been known to demand payments from employers in...