The Patriot Post® · Add Union Reform to 2018 Laundry List

Democrat power players like Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders are hardly irresolute when it comes to praising Big Labor. To them, unions are the lifeblood to economic fairness and tranquility. To be fair, in truth and in theory, unions aren’t inherently disingenuous. The problem is that they’ve been hijacked by political activists and workers are stripped of true representation because, ironically, most workers have no voice. Their money is confiscated and used for purposes for which they might object. Moreover, the nature of how unions have evolved means they are also knee-deep in corruption.

The Detroit Free Press took a surprising look at some of this corruption in a Sunday analysis. The piece, titled “Embezzlement plagues union offices around U.S., records show,” reports that financial fraud was uncovered in roughly 300 union workplaces over the two most recent years. According to the report, the amount of money stolen was a high as $6.5 million in a single instance. Of course, the Free Press cited other entities to make the point that theft occurs anywhere and everywhere, unionized or not. It quotes law professor Peter Henning, who says, “Unions are not unique. Another group hit hard by embezzlement are churches. You can’t train people to be ethical. It’s just access to money.”

Fair enough. But there’s also a huge difference: Unions are leftist fan favorites. Which means they are given the benefit of the doubt over and over and over again because too many lawmakers’ political survival and the Democrat Party in general are dependent on union support. For example, over a six-year span, a whopping $1.1 billion was confiscated from union members and handed to leftist activists. No matter what egregious behavior unions engage in, they’ll remain favored tools of Democrats. They have an advantage when it comes to getting away with corruption, just like Harvey Weinstein did in Hollywood. Why? Because the efforts they allegedly support with their money are more important than accountability.

Not every unionized worker wants Big Labor dictating the rules. Not to mention, who wants to be represented by fraudulent unions? A good place to begin changing the status quo would be implementing the Employee Rights Act. As the Washington Examiner editorializes, “Imagine how much more impressed voters will find it if Republicans reform laws governing unions and workplace representation, which hasn’t been done for three generations.” The Employee Rights Act would instill secret-ballot elections and safeguard personally sensitive information. With more than two-thirds support among Americans, it’s a perfect starter package for helping to avoid cronyism.