Live Better Work Union
Freeman was indicted on federal charges of stealing from those workers to enrich himself, including by billing the union for costs from his Hawaii wedding.
In San Jose and across the nation, state and local officials are increasingly confronting a vision of startling injustice: Poor and middle-class taxpayers — who often have no retirement savings — are paying higher taxes so public employees can retire in relative comfort. -Michael A. Fletcher 
In fact, other than union bosses themselves, it can be easily argued that the office workers at SoCal ports are the union movement’s crème de la crème. As the office workers’ union has, so far, rejected an offer bringing their total compensation to nearly $200,000–they have become the highest paid office workers in the nation and they have a no layoff provision in their contract. They are the 1% among unionized workers.
Mariam Noujaim shook her head at the things her labor union had spent money on, from a $300 meal at Sacramento's Kru restaurant to the Holiday Inn conference room where she spent four hours Tuesday reading some of the organization's financial records.
Hypocrisy, Crime, Union, Financial, Fraud, Greed, Corruption, Convict, Theft
The former president of California’s largest union local was found guilty by a federal jury in Los Angeles on Monday of stealing from the low-wage workers he represented. Tyrone Freeman, who led Local 6434 of the Service Employees International Union, was convicted on 14 criminal counts, including embezzlement of union funds, violating tax laws and mail fraud. As president of SEIU Local 6434 -- the second-largest SEIU chapter in the nation -- Freeman, 43, represented 160,000 low-wage healthcare workers who cared for the elderly and people with disabilities.
Crime, Union, Character, Financial, Fraud, Greed, Corruption, Theft
The former president of a union representing more than 300 MBTA workers was sentenced today to six months in jail for stealing $105,812 from the organization’s bank account during his tenure. He was the second top official convicted of stealing from the union. A Suffolk Superior Court jury on Dec. 19 found John Horan guilty of two counts of larceny for overpaying himself between 2005 and 2010, using the bank account of the MBTA Inspectors Union Local 600.
Hypocrisy, Liberal, Union, Character, Greed
While city public-school teachers have gone without a new contract or regular pay raises for three straight years, their union, its staffers and political cronies have been living large off their union dues, a Post review found. Included in the United Federation of Teachers’ $166.5 million in spending last year was a hefty $33.4 million in salary for union staffers — a slight increase from the year prior. More than 90 staffers earned six-figure salaries between July 2011 and June 2012, the records show — including President Michael Mulgrew, who took home $275,000... The union also spent more than $1 million for one company, Lackmann Culinary Services, to cater food for its various meetings and events.
Crime, Union, Government, Incompetence, Waste, Metaphor, Corruption, Jobs
In 2009, as the economy was putting a freeze on municipal budgets even in well-off communities, the police here secured a pay increase of 3.75 percent. And liberal sick time and family-leave policies have created an unusually high absentee rate: every day, nearly 30 percent of the force does not show up. (A typical rate elsewhere is in the single digits.) “How do I go to the community and say ‘I’m doing everything I can to help you fight crime’ when some of my officers are working better hours than bankers?” the police chief, J. Scott Thomson, asked.
Earlier this year, the United Auto Workers decided to sell its money-losing 1,000-acre resort and golf course. Now, while GM files for its IPO, new UAW leadership is pulling the resort off the market. Here's a look inside.
Crime, Union, Fraud, Greed, Corruption
NEW YORK (AP) - Hundreds of Long Island Rail Road employees may have cheated their way to big pensions through a $1 billion fraud by paying off doctors to say they were unable to work, authorities said Thursday as they revealed that some supposedly disabled retirees were spotted regularly playing tennis and golf, shoveling heavy snow and working out for hours at a gym.
Hypocrisy, Crime, Union, Character, Sex, Degeneracy, Fraud, Greed
As the leader of the national union representing Border Patrol agents, Terence J. Bonner traveled often... Bonner has been indicted on 12 federal counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to court documents released Thursday. Prosecutors say he also submitted expense vouchers for meals, car rentals, luggage, books and other union-related activities when he was traveling for personal reasons. "Siphoning hundreds of thousands of dollars from hard-working Border Patrol agents, many of whom put their lives on the line every day to protect this country, is a particularly troubling form of corruption that must be addressed," said Laura Duffy, the U.S. attorney in San Diego... The false claims cover periods when he was visiting his mistress in Chicago, his family, hockey games and other sporting events unrelated to the union.
Hypocrisy, Liberal, Union, Character, Financial, Oops, Greed
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka – $293,750. National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel – $460,060 Service Employees International Union President Mary Kay Henry – $290,334. American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees President Gerald McEntee – $512,489. International Brotherhood of Teamsters President James P. Hoffa , Jr. – $372,489. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten – $493,859.
Crime, Union, Government, Education, Theft
Authorities in Worcester County have charged a middle school teacher accused of stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the teachers union while she was treasurer. Police also said the Worcester County Teacher's Association conspired to cover up the theft by making arrangements for restitution without contacting authorities that a crime had occurred. Denise Inez Owens, 58, of Ocean Pines was responsible for the taking of more than $433,000 from accounts belonging to the Worcester County Teacher's Association, according to the Worcester County Bureau of Investigation.
The biggest myth about labor unions is that unions are for the workers. Unions are for unions, just as corporations are for corporations and politicians are for politicians. — Thomas Sowell
Democrat, Hypocrisy, Crime, Union, Fraud, Greed, Corruption
Not long ago, Tyrone Freeman was a rising young star in the national labor movement, already the head of California’s biggest union local and a force in Democratic politics from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C... On Tuesday, however, Freeman was indicted on federal charges of stealing from those workers to enrich himself, including by billing the union for costs from his Hawaii wedding. The 15-count indictment secured by the U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles also alleges that Freeman violated tax laws and gave false information to a mortgage lender. If convicted on all counts, he could face maximum prison sentences in excess of 200 years.
Environmentalist, Union, Greed, Elitism
Lucrative compensation packages and the use of chartered jets by the departing head of the nation's biggest public-sector union are looming as key issues in a contentious election to fill his position later this month. Gerald McEntee, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, traveled by chartered aircraft 18 times since the beginning of 2010, at a cost of about $325,000, according to internal union expense reports viewed by The Wall Street Journal.
Union, Character, Fraud, Waste
Instead of plowing the streets, this driver was caught snoozing Monday morning from 9:30 to at least 11 on 14th Avenue near 149th Street.
Hypocrisy, Liberal, Tax, Union
One of America’s most powerful labor leaders, teachers union president Randi Weingarten, has quietly moved out of New York City, a decision that saved her from paying more than $30,000 in city income taxes that she would have owed if she had stayed.
In an email announcing the new AFL-CIO Executive PayWatch website, the leader of the nation’s largest union organization encourages members to fight excessive executive salaries... According to the Center for Union Facts, Trumka brought home a gross salary of $264,827 in 2010, plus another $18,513 in additional compensation, to represent his union. The union leader has earned well over $200,000 every year since he was promoted to Secretary Treasurer in 2003. In 2011, Trumka earned $293,750.
Crime, Union, Greed
Hundreds of letter writers, many of them teachers, reacted with outrage to the deal federal prosecutors made with ex-United Tchrs. Of Dade boss Pat Tornillo, who admitted stealing between $500,000 and $800,000 from the union to pay for international travel, vacation home rentals and other luxuries.
Hypocrisy, Union, Education, Greed
New York City's teachers may do well to ask why their union, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT), has an office in Boca Raton, Florida. A recent article in the New York Post figured that rent alone for the Boca Raton branch costs UFT members $183,603 per year. That's not peanuts for a union fretting about its financially strapped members.
Hypocrisy, Union, Greed
Earlier this year, the United Auto Workers decided to sell its money-losing 1,000-acre resort and golf course. Now, while GM files for its IPO, new UAW leadership is pulling the resort off the market. Here's a look inside.
Union, Funny, Greed
Vikings running back Adrian Peterson compared NFL owners' treatment of players to "modern-day slavery," according to an online interview published Tuesday by Yahoo! Sports.
The former president of California’s biggest union local pleaded not guilty Monday to federal charges that he enriched himself by stealing from the low-income workers he represented. Tyrone Freeman, who headed Local 6434 of the Service Employees International Union, entered his plea to a 15-count indictment returned in July. A trial has been set for Nov. 20 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. Freeman, 42, is free on $50,000 bail. The indictment includes allegations that he embezzled union funds, billed the organization for costs of his Hawaiian wedding, violated tax laws and gave false information to a mortgage lender.
Union, Fraud, Greed, Jobs
The Real Estate Board of New York, a major developers' group, says antiquated rules let a cadre of crane and heavy equipment workers pocket six-figure paychecks for little more than showing up. In the next three years the no-work jobs, controlled by Locals 14 and 15 of the Operating Engineers, could add $96.2 million to the cost of World Trade Center projects, the REBNY says.
Crime, Union, Fraud, Greed, Corruption
DETROIT— A former Michigan Carpenters Council official has been charged with accepting kickbacks from a casino consultant. The Detroit News reports Friday the fraud charge against Walter Mabry was made Friday in federal court in Detroit.
Hypocrisy, Liberal, Crime, Union, Greed, Corruption
Most city workers spend decades in public service to build up modest pensions. But for former labor leader Dennis Gannon, the keys to securing a public pension were one day on the city payroll and some help from the Daley administration. And his city pension is more than modest. It's the highest of any retired union leader: $158,000. That's roughly five times greater than what the typical retired city worker receives.
Hypocrisy, Union, Education, Greed
As nearly 5,000 city teachers face the ax, their union shells out millions of dollars on feasting, boozing and partying, the Daily News has learned.
Free-spending United Federation of Teachers brass last year spent nearly $1.4 million for the UFT's 50th anniversary gala at the Hilton - complete with a movie, a book and a paperweight.