Trial of Philadelphia labor leaders exposes the rampant corruption plaguing the country’s unions
Christopher Tremoglie
Video Embed
There may have been a time in this nation’s history when labor unions were decent organizations fighting for workers’ rights. However, that was a long time ago and quite different from how many labor unions have operated in this country for decades.
Long associated with rampant corruption, the organizations are little more than intimidating thugs, hustlers, con artists, and extortionists. And the current trial for embezzlement involving Philadelphia’s Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers exposes exploitative tactics plaguing the country’s unions. Today’s unions are mostly corrupt bullies who frequently operate above the law to expand their wealth, power, influence, and privilege.
WHAT THE GOP CAN LEARN FROM 2023
In the last week, two of the former leaders of Philadelphia’s Local 98 were exposed for using member dues to make lavish personal purchases, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. House renovations, parties, trips, and Target purchases were all at the center of the federal embezzlement trial of the union’s former bosses, longtime Philadelphia Democrat political kingpin John Dougherty and Brian Burrows, a former president of the organization.
On Monday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Grenell showed evidence of Burrows billing the union for more than $65,000 “for renovations done on his New Jersey home and other properties he owned,” the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Last week, lawyers showed the jury proof that Dougherty spent $7,000 of union dues on a birthday party and lavish gifts for his wife and mistress, the union’s political director, “at separate Atlantic City shindigs within weeks of each other.”
Union corruption is nothing new, and Burrow’s and Dougherty’s trial details are relatively unsurprising. Those organizations have a long track record of dishonesty and exploitative tactics, such as forcing a company’s employees to pay union dues or strong-arming the city of Philadelphia to use union contractors for projects. These funds are supposed to be distributed to the entire union and used for its initiatives and to help its members. Yet there are many stories in which these union bosses use it as their personal bank accounts. They frequently like to “wet their beak.”
And this is an important topic to discuss, as two national stories involving unions have recently been front and center in the news cycle. Between President Joe Biden’s appearance and public support for the United Auto Workers and the stories of the never-ending but seemingly forgotten Screen Actors Guild strike, people must realize the deception and dishonesty at the root of many of these organizations. They don’t care about protecting workers; their priorities focus on increasing their wealth.
Unions served their purpose in this country and now belong on the ash heaps of history. There aren’t any working conditions today that are so troublesome they need union representation to fight for the worker. It’s all about union greed and making them more money. They weaponize labor stoppages to fund their organization’s bank accounts. Moreover, they exploit union members so they can deepen the pockets of union bosses. It’s a racket and has been that way for decades.
In the past, unions existed to fight against corporations that exploited workers to maximize profits. Today, it’s close to being the opposite. In many cases, labor unions are little more than government-authorized organized crime extortionists.