Obama Labor Department Covers-Up Big Labor Bosses’ Perks
by Don LoosPresident Obama’s Department of Labor just ended disclosure of the lavish perks enjoyed by his Big Labor Boss supporters. But this should come as little surprise as Obama’s Labor Secretary Hilda Solis in a recent speech to the AFL-CIO tacitly acknowledged that she has turned the U.S. Labor Department over to them.
The Obama Labor Department has been positioning themselves to rollback recent changes to the congressionally mandated union financial disclosure reports for unions with receipts of $250,000 plus.
And now they have announced that they are eliminating disclosure designed to protect millions of workers who are forced to pay dues as a condition of employment. The specific disclosures being rescinded, among other things, exposed labor boss perks like John Sweeney’s alleged million dollar payment in 2000. Now, Big Labor Union Bosses who receive special payments can continue to hide these payments from workers who are forced to subsidize them.
Obama’s Labor Department Lame Red Herring: Violators will Incur a Burden
According to the Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (BNA), the Obama Administration’s so-called “reasoning” for rescinding the rule is that it imposes a burden on recalcitrant union officers who have failed to file union disclosure reports. BNA’s headline, “DOL Rescinds LM-2/LM-3 Rule, Citing Burden On Small Unions and Need for More Review” captures the spin.
The Department completely ignored the federal privilege which grants union officials the power to have workers fired for failure to pay union dues as a condition of getting and keeping a job. That’s the real burden, being forced to pay for union bosses’ perks and not even having the opportunity to see where your money goes.
Here is the Labor Department’s rescission argument in a nutshell: a few unions may be burdened by enforcing this rule’s consequences on unions that fail to follow reporting rules. Big Labor apologists at the Labor Department are not telling you that only unions that continuously neglect filing financial reports will be required to file more detailed reports. If unions file reports on time (a requirement since 1960), then there will likely be zero new burden – making the Department’s excuse a complete red herring. Only non-compliant unions will be forced to deal with the so-called burden, an outcome that is the result of its own irresponsible behavior.
In 2005, there were 1,275 labor unions that were over a year late in filing financial reports. Part of the rule being rescinded by Secretary Solis was an effort to reduce this problem.
It is pure politics to rescind a disclosure rule designed to protect workers from irresponsible union bosses when only bad actors would have been required to provide more disclosure. Shouldn’t union bosses who fail to file simple disclosures be required to provide more information? Why would the Labor Department not want to bring these bad actors into compliance? Solis provides no reasons.
The Department chose to kill the entire rule because of this red herring, and now forced-dues funded perks enjoyed by many Big Labor Bosses will be obscured. Hardly an example of a more transparent government that President Obama has promised; rather it is insider Washington as usual.
In fact, The National Right To Work Legal Defense Foundation’s believes that that the repeal of this rule exceeds the Secretary’s authority. The Foundation states that the authority granted in the Labor-Management Disclosure Act only permits the Secretary to make rules that aid in the prevention of the evasion of Act; and clearly allowing less disclosure cannot aid in the prevention of evasion of disclosure.
The next union disclosure target will likely be the remaining LM-2 report that has exposed hundreds of thousands dollars of forced teacher union dues going to ACORN and millions more going to other radical organizations. Prior to 2005, these kinds of details were unseen. If Obama’s Big Labor Department continues to focus on protecting union bosses rather than workers, then the meaningful information about union officials use of forced dues will be obscured in the Department’s darkening windows of disclosure.
This is just the first of several Labor Department planned steps to repeal and rewrite important regulations designed to protect individual workers rather than union bosses. If the Department’s handling of this rescission is any example, then more abuses of the regulatory process lay ahead.
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51 Comments
Say it isn't so!
I thought Mr. Obama campaigned for Transparency. That was his big campaign promise; TRANSPARENCY. This administration is about as transparent as a sewer at midnight.
Slap on the cuffs!!
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trans·par·en·cy (trns-pârn-s, -pr-)
n. pl. trans·par·en·cies
1. A transparent object, Hussein Administration made a campaign promise to be a transparent object but he LIED! LIAR. (i.e. Just like when he said Illegals would not be covered in HusseinCare….In the words of J. Wilson, "YOU LIE"
2. also trans·par·ence (-pârns, -pr-) The quality or state of being transparent. This does not apply to Hussein and his Posse of Clowns because Hussein and his Posse of Clowns make the rules! Rule: This does apply since Hussein and his Posse of Clowns are full of Dung and "We the People of the United States" is seeing through all of it!
Why in the hell, do union rank and file members allow this? It should be them revolting, as much as us.
Why in the hell, do union rank and file members allow this? It should be them revolting, as much as us.
trans·par·en·cy (trns-pârn-s, -pr-)
n. pl. trans·par·en·cies
1. A transparent object, Hussein Administration made a campaign promise to be a transparent object but he LIED! LIAR. (i.e. Just like when he said Illegals would not be covered in HusseinCare….In the words of J. Wilson, "YOU LIE"
2. also trans·par·ence (-pârns, -pr-) The quality or state of being transparent. This does not apply to Hussein and his Posse of Clowns because Hussein and his Posse of Clowns make the rules! Rule: This does apply since Hussein and his Posse of Clowns are full of Dung and "We the People of the United States" are seeing through all of it!
As some slush funds are brought to light they scurry to create and hide more. The corruption of this bunch is incredible.
Yet another example of the true reality this administration is trying to seek. We should not be surprised by this, but add it to the long list "miss-spoken" promises made by Obama.
Shouldn't some of these actions constitute criminal investigations? Screw transparency, where the hell are the people that are supposed to stand up to this behaviour? Do we have ANYONE on the hill these days that isn't too scared to stand up for what's right any longer? Is getting elected the only end to the means? There are certainly criminal overtones to most things this President has done, and this is no different. At what point do we start holding our elected officials responsible for their actions?
You've got to be……………..Talk about "IN YOUR FACE" blatant fraud and corruption. And its only STARTED?
How you folks liking that "fundemental CHANGE of America as we know it"? And to Lame Stream Media goes ZZZzzzzz……………………………….
You've got to be……………..Talk about "IN YOUR FACE" blatant fraud and corruption. And its only STARTED?
How you folks liking that "fundemental CHANGE of America as we know it"? And the Lame Stream Media goes ZZZzzzzz……………………………….
Eric Holder? The Department of Justice?
They have all abdicated to the Emperor.
Next question…….
I guess no one in cesspool DC will miss a few tax returns… it is such a burden to complete the forms
Tick-tock, tick-tock….the revolution is coming. I don't think Obama will even make it to 2012. They ignore, in yer face, all laws and sense of reason. We'll just see how they ignore looking down a barrell of 20,000 of our soldiers, police, sheriffs, fbi and cia's shotguns in DC!
Tick-tock, tick-tock….the revolution is coming. I don't think Obama will even make it to 2012. They ignore, in yer face, all laws and sense of reason. We'll just see how they ignore looking down a barrell of 20,000 of our soldiers, police, sheriffs, fbi and cia's shotguns in DC! And if Obama thinks the SS will be on his side….guess again!!
How about the PAY CZAR look at the UNIONS? Not likely!!!!
They can't do anything about it. Their jobs are tied to the Union. Once the Unions have control, you cannot hire in unless you pay dues and you cannot leave the Union unless you also leave your job. This is ALWAYS what happens with unions, but the people who join because they are trying to get better working conditions or higher wages or better benefits don't realize that they are being used until it's too late. Unions come into a company, create discontent or capitalize on less than ideal conditions, collect dues and begin hi-jacking the company. They start out by forcing the company to make changes. Before long, they've either killed the company, closing it because it can't afford to do what the Union wants or else the company and the Union join together and both begin victimizing the workers, meaning they pay dues but get no better benefits.
When you think you are talking to Kenyans, you will never see it coming.
Let me be clear: your vote in a union election, but how the bosses spend your money is.
How Hopey Changey!
Let me be clear: your vote in a union election is not private, but how the bosses spend your money is.
How Hopey Changey!
With this administration, anything on paper means nothing to them. They ignore everything and just go about their evil business.
It's exactly like the Mafia. They strong arm.
And the MSM is Obama's enabler in chief. Can't wait to see the military in the lobbies of NBC, etal.
Again we see that it is all about money and power. These people need to go, and soon, very soon. From the bottom of the s**t heap to the head turd (sorry ) himself, No-Bama. This corruption must be stopped.
Did you read today that the Senate has reappropriated 22 BILLION in funds from the defense department to pork and perks ? Not the least of which is going to a KENNEDY PROJECT dedicated in his honor for TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS that was earmaked for ammunition and defense apparel for the soldiers. TELL YOUR SON !
These seditious bastards…..
I am soooo fricking tired and weary of screaming for JUST ONE AMERICA LOVING SENATOR OR HOUSE MEMBER to STAND UP and expose and fight this corruption.
It's coming, Senators and House Members…. Better strap on your seat belts… You are in for one helluva ride out of town !
Obama & his big labor friends R the Enemy of the PPl & need to B stoped at all cost
Help us get more petition signatures, and show your community how concerned you are at the same time. get your "Opeach" stickers today!
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No sense in stating the obvious…Hence why i say "Do we have ANYONE on the hill these days that isn't too scared to stand up for what is right any longer?" It will take 'people' outside the administration to make something like this happen. Voting simply is not good enough. It does not solve the problem, only put new faces to the same issue. I believe this is an issue that will have to be started by the taxpayers. Yes, voting helps, but what to do until then? So my question remains…Do we have ANYONE on the hill these days that isn't too scared to stand up for what is right any longer?
The entire Democratic party has been a legalized organized crime family. They are in bed with the mafia unions, groups like acorn, and all these radical groups that bring in the votes. This is how they have been for over 100 years. It was the mafia that got FDR, Truman and JFK elected. Every democratic president that gets elected by illegal votes, have to raise taxes to pay off all these goons that bring in the votes. This is what the stimulus package was all about. They feel they have more votes then the conservative side and this money was a mafia pay off, union retirees, pension funds to keep the votes to create life long power. We need to take back the congress and begin a massive investigation of all this mafia network and start throwing these people in jail and get the rest of these crooks to flip and start singing.
At least they tell you they are going to take your chips before they take them. There are too many fires to put out so which one do you expose and focus on? Congress does not have enough time to read bills much less confirm all the research BG exposes. If we only knew which members are "compromised"…then we could focus on the members who can stand up. When you think of the mindset of ACORN/UNIONS/FILLINTHEBLANK organizations closely tied networks, just imagine how many members they've compromised…
[...] Democrats, like Doctors, always seem to be looking for new ways to engorge themselves on our wallets. the arrogance and greed never seems to end. As Margaret Thatcher put it so well years ago…”Socialism is great til you run out of other peoples money to pay for it”. That’s the real burden, being forced to pay for union bosses’ perks and not even having the oppo… [...]
They're like cockroaches at night. Once the light begins to shine, they retreat to another hiding place.
[...] Democrats, like Doctors, always seem to be looking for new ways to engorge themselves on our wallets. The arrogance and greed never seems to end. As Margaret Thatcher put it so well years ago…”Socialism is great til you run out of other peoples money to pay for it”. That’s the real burden, being forced to pay for union bosses’ perks and not even having the oppo… [...]
At the ballot box, STAY STRONG, STAY LOUD
Elections have consequences. The left would love nothing more than to have us STF up and stay home.
And the MSM is Obama's enabler in chief. Can't wait to see the military in the lobbies of NBC, etal.
With a life sentence in Gitmo for the whole bunch!
[...] Big Government » Blog Archive » Obama Labor Department Covers-Up … [...]
I have never understood the Left's fascination with unions. Unions represent everything the Left claims to despise yet they give them pass after pass and do everything to protect them. It shows the total hypocrisy of the Left.
Just think if a private corporation forced workers to pay them money to in order to be able to work. The Left would go nuts yet that is exactly what Unions demand of its members through mandatory dues. No dues, no work.
Then just imagine a private corporation being granted the ability by the Federal government to not disclose financial statements. The Left would be out to hang the executives of that corporation as well as the politicians yet the Unions want to be able to hide their financials from both the public as well as its members and the Left just fluffs it off.
Unions had their moment in history. The leadership of the unions have changed from protecting their members to fleecing their members (as well as everyone else) and becoming little more than political hacks. Unions need to go to the ash pile of history.
Wow, you guys threaten the president with violence on this site? Jeez.
I've always found rank-and-file union members revolting.
NOW might be a good time for you union workers to speak out against this administration..Although it is nice to see the Obama administration eating some of its own..
[...] Obama Labor Department Covers-Up Big Labor Bosses’ Perks [...]
[...] and her big labor insiders will rewrite this disclosure to the trial lawyers’ liking as she began last Friday to do for union bosses by rescinding meaningful union financial [...]
I think the unions may be that internal army Obama said he needed, bigger than the regular military. When they are all paid off and assembled….gee, who knows what they could accomplish?
[...] have not yet seen the end of the current administration’s payback efforts on behalf of Big Labor. New disclosure rules just made it harder for union members to find out how their unions really spend the money they [...]
[...] have not yet seen the end of the current administration’s payback efforts on behalf of Big Labor. New disclosure rules just made it harder for union members to find out how their unions really spend the money they [...]
[...] hold-up? One major factor of course is that ACORN serves as a taxpayer-funded Democrat army. As with unions, it behooves Democrats to ignore corruption amongst the ranks of the powerful forces that elect [...]
[...] hold-up? One major factor of course is that ACORN serves as a taxpayer-funded Democrat army. As with unions, it behooves Democrats to ignore corruption amongst the ranks of the powerful forces that elect [...]
[...] hold-up? One major factor of course is that ACORN serves as a taxpayer-funded Democrat army. As with unions, it behooves Democrats to ignore corruption amongst the ranks of the powerful forces that elect [...]
[...] conflict-of-interest disclosure reporting that SEIU’s Andy Stern may be ignoring and just as it rescinded union-boss perk disclosures, the Obama Administration continues to rollback union financial [...]