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Jewish World Review August 28, 2001 / 9 Elul, 5761

Joseph Perkins

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Big labor plays politics and skirts the law


http://www.jewishworldreview.com -- "NOT only are we outraged at the bombing, we are outraged at the ... hypocrisy of the Bush administration in dealing with this awful situation -- a decision to stop the bombing two years from now is a non-decision." -- AFL-CIO President John Sweeney, criticizing the Bush administration's decision not to end bombing exercises on the Puerto Rican island of Vieques until 2003.

"Secretary Chao, you, President Bush ... and all the others who killed these protections are responsible for these injuries. You're responsible for the pain, suffering and devastation to their lives." -- AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Richard Trumka, criticizing the Bush administration's decision to rescind an ergonomic rule issued during the waning days of the Clinton administration.

"President Bush has avoided answering all the hard questions, including whose benefits are going to be cut and by how much. We are here to remind him and the commission that working families will not be sold a bill of goods." -- AFL-CIO Exec. Vice President Linda Chavez-Thompson, criticizing the Bush administration for daring to suggest that individuals be allowed to invest a small portion of their Social Security contributions in the financial market.

The obvious conclusion to be drawn from the remarks by those and other top officials of the AFL-CIO is that the nation's largest labor union remains in campaign mode some nine months after the 2000 presidential election.

While even Al Gore appears to have put his narrow defeat behind him and moved on to the next phase of his life (even adding a few pounds and sporting a beard) Sweeney, Trumka, Chavez-Thompson and their fellow union bosses continue to wage political war against George W. Bush.

Of course, that is the labor federation's prerogative. But it is an insult to intelligence when the AFL-CIO leadership denies that it engages in political activity. Or when it maintains that its constant harangue against the Bush administration not only on labor matters, but also on non-labor matters (such as the Navy's continued presence on Vieques), is just a normal part of representing the rank and file.

He has Bates Motel potential with the too-coifed hair and pursed lips of a fussy librarian.

Sweeney and his fellow union bosses put on this facade to avoid meeting the legal requirements of the federation's political activity.

Indeed, the Associated Press recently reported that, while unions have spent tens of millions of dollars in recent elections to help elect Democrats (and demonize Republicans), they have routinely reported zero political expenses to the IRS.

By contrast, the business organizations that AFL-CIO so often castigates - such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers -- have been far more scrupulous in reporting their political activity.

In 1996, for instance, the Chamber reported nearly $14 million in political and lobbying expenses. NAM reported $5.2 million. The AFL-CIO spent $35 million to return Clinton and Gore to the White House and to help Democrats try to retake Congress.

There is an obvious reason why the Federation has refused to acknowledge its political activity, as required by federal tax law: because it is loathe to comply with the Supreme Court's 13-year-old Beck decision.

In Beck, the justices declared that union members can be compelled to pay dues and fees that are directly related to the cost of collective bargaining and contract administration only. Workers cannot be forced to finance a union's political and lobbying activity.

Sweeney, Trumka, Chavez-Thompson and their fellow union bosses pretend that the rank and file are a political monolith. That the nation's 16.5 million or so union members are all liberal Democrats like the AFL-CIO leadership.

But the union bosses know differently. They know that one-third of union members voted for Bush the Republican during the last presidential election (according to election night polling by Peter D. Hart Research Associates).

And that those Republican union members are entitled, under Beck, to millions of dollars in refunds on their dues and fees. AFL-CIO General Counsel John Hiatt told the Associated Press that the union's leaders "feel perfectly comfortable" about skirting IRS reporting requirements for political activity and lobbying. "If we're audited, we'll face the music."

Well, the IRS ought to take the AFL-CIO up on its challenge. And, at the same time, the Justice Department ought to investigate the Federation's obvious denial of Beck rights to a third of its membership.



JWR contributor Joseph Perkins is a San Diego Union-Tribune columnist and television commentator. Send your comments to him by clicking here.

Up

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07/01/01: Keeping health and money matters private
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01/05/01: New roles for newsmakers
12/27/00: Anti-Bush media bias starting early
12/20/00: Bush should reach out, not bend
12/12/00: What Jesse stands for
12/08/00: Will history call Gore a sore loser?
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10/26/00: Undecided? Before voting, make sure you answer these questions
10/20/00: No losers with Bush tax plan
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03/24/00: Gotcha! Treasury Dept. spills the beans about Bubba's bull
03/16/00: Al Gore's glaring hypocrisy
03/07/00: John McCain is a fraud
02/17/00: The only thing that will rein in NFL criminals is negative public opinion
01/27/00: Linking marriage and the income gap
01/12/00: Black blind obedience
12/21/99: Tripp's courage was punished
12/09/99: Politics gets in the way of food
12/02/99: Washington isn't speaking English
10/14/99: Using sexual harassment as a weapon
10/04/99: What about victims' rights?
09/17/99: Feel like you're being watched?
09/02/99: Our air traffic system is out of control
08/26/99: We need another Manhattan Project
08/13/99: Tempest in the PETA pot
08/05/99: Utilizing junk science for big payoffs

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