Subject: Muscle Memory And The UAW’s ‘Travesty Of Democracy’: LRI INK

February 16, 2023

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Muscle Memory And The UAW's 'Travesty Of Democracy'

by Kimberly Ricci

As the saying goes, it’s a tale as old as time, and yes, we are talking about union corruption.

 

Notorious Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa disappeared nearly 48 years ago, although no amount of time stops his name from surfacing on the subject of union corruption. The formerly all-powerful labor leader’s ghostly shadow still looms large over U.S. organized labor, and memories of Hoffa do not reflect a benevolent memory of union affairs. Rather, he still looms as a specter of heavy-handed tactics and absolute corruption.

 

Following the end of Hoffa Sr.’s Teamsters tenure, the international union underwent a transformation similar to what should be currently happening with the United Workers. In 2023, International Teamsters President Sean O’Brien now approaches his one-year anniversary of ending the Hoffa era finished up by Jimmy’s son, James P. Hoffa. O’Brien embarked upon a self-described “militant” path to union leadership, and that label has proven accurate through his current roster of threatened strikes at sizable employers.

 

Sure, O’Brien hasn’t yet been accused of any variety of mob-type corruption similar to Jimmy Hoffa, but they do have plenty in common. Both proved willing to bring industries to their knees, and in fact, John F. Kennedy saw Hoffa Sr. as a menace, who attempted to push the American transportation system to a jarring halt. Likewise, O’Brien delights in cripping companies with strikes meant to force contract negotiations for his union.

 

Nearly five decades later, the Teamsters claim to have overcome the Jimmy Hoffa variety of corruption. As of 1989, the union agreed to abandon all mob ties, and the union successfully settled into direct elections of its officials. The latter practice is proving difficult for the United Auto Workers to handle, as we’ll discuss in a moment.

 

That is to say: corruption is a hard habit to kick, and the UAW is outright rejecting the straight and narrow. Not that this tactic is exclusive to the Teamsters or the UAW.

 

Take the SEIU, for example. A local is making headlines this month for hitting the financial skids in a mysterious way and laying off 10% of staffers. Their union, the Chicago News Guild, accused the SEIU of mismanaging at least $2 million and mysteriously failing to collect dues from members. The union staffers feel jilted after leading boots-on-the-ground organizing campaigns throughout the pandemic.

 

Onto the UAW, though, which is still attempting to dig out from underneath their own corruption scandal. Simultaneously, they have attempted to boost membership by taking aggressive aim at higher education and targeting EV battery factories. The once mighty union also seemingly will not behave. As such, current President Ray Curry seems bound and determined to do anything to stay in power, and that includes the absolute corruption of their election process, which is essentially a sham election

 

This leadership election was meant to be the first time that the UAW directly elected its leaders, but that hasn't worked out as directed by the feds. Let’s catch up on this mess:

  • Ray Curry is doing everything possible to maintain power. That includes an allegedly rampant display of voter suppression by union bureaucracy. This accusation finds support in the numbers: less than 10% of eligible-to-vote UAW members actually voted in the first round of the presidential election, which led to a popular candidate, Will Lehmen, being immediately knocked out of the running.

  • Lehmen has refused to take this development quietly. The rank-and-file member and tiered Mack Trucks worker filed an official protest against the union and accused federal watchdog Neil Barofsky of looking the other way during Curry’s quest to push through run-off proceedings against opponent Shawn Fain. The first election round remains uncertified, and that seems like a fair status, given that both of the “leading” candidates headed to the run-off after gathering less than 5% approval from eligible UAW voters. 

  • Among the many alleged voter suppression tactics popping up in conversation, members say that ballots were intentionally sent out to wrong addresses, and that workers were misinformed about ballot due dates. Lehmen has also accused the union of scuttling his ballot and refusing to count it. 

  • Other UAW members are talking: One worker is quoted as saying, “I see the corruption. They care about themselves but that’s it.” Another worker saw the plain-as-day ridiculousness of the matter: “How can you have an election where 90 percent of the membership didn’t vote?” 

  • Barofsky appears to be doing very little about this alleged voter suppression or Lehman’s protest. The watchdog did, however, reprimand a local UAW official for penning a letter to direct his 100+ members to vote for Curry. 

  • However, Ford workers are still raising the alarm about this “travesty of democracy” while declaring that they never received ballots at all. In videos posted by Lehman to Twitter, members went public with their claims with one worker calling this election “shameful and disrespectful.” A “disgusted” team leader even pointed out that none of his 15 subordinates received a ballot for the fall election, but ballots miraculously arrived at their homes for the runoff. 

 

Funny how that works. The UAW runoff voting deadline is Feb. 28. Counting will begin on March 1. Stay tuned for more controversy while the UAW continues to build their mega-strike fund in an attempt to stay afloat while staying corrupt.

Links

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Union Bailout

            

NLRB Ruling Eases Unions' Ability To Get Representation Elections 

Link

 

U.S. Posts $39 Billion January Deficit After Pension Fund Bailout

Link/

            

Statement by UAW President Ray Curry On President Biden's State Of The Union Address

Link

 

Teamsters Applaud Call To Pass Pro Act, Antitrust Laws During Biden SOTU 

Link

 

President Biden 'Has Our Back,' SEIU President Says 

Link

 

As Federal Cash Flows To Unions, Democrats Hope To Reap The Rewards

Link

 

NLRB Developments: Expanded Remedies, Micro Units And More 

Link

 

New NLRB Ruling In T-Mobile, Inc. Takes Aim At Employee Action Committees 

Link

 

NLRB Legal Chief Challenges The Legality Of A Common Employer Anti-Unionization Tactic

Link

 

Ninth Circuit Court Of Appeals Rejects Argument That President’s Removal Of Former NLRB General Counsel Was Improper, Upholding Validity Of NLRB Complaint

Link

 

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Biden Has Spate Of Options for Labor Chief Pick

Link

 

Transport Workers Union of America Chief Opposes Potential Installation Of Former NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio To Succeed Labor Secretary Marty Walsh.

Link

 

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Organizing

 

Tesla Workers Launch Unionization Campaign in New York

Link

 

Union Of Southern Service Workers Encourages Cross-Sector Organizing

Link

 

Labor Fight Intensifies At Upscale Wine Country Resort

Link

 

A Contested Election Is Fracturing A Farmworkers' Union

Link

 

Widmer Brothers Microbrewery Join The Teamsters

Link

 

Captain Jack’s Budtrenders Form Union With Teamsters Local

Link

 

Ford To Recognize UAW ‘Card Check’ For New Michigan UAW ‘Card CHeck 

Michigan Battery Plant

Link

 

Has The Unionization “Wave” Crested At Starbucks?

Link

 

Starbucks Illegally Threatened And Punished Activists, U.S. Labor Board Rules

Link

 

Judge: Starbucks Illegally Threatened Workers During Union Campaign

Link

 

Federal Labor Board Issues Complaint Against Memphis Starbucks Store

Link

 

NLRB: Starbucks Must Re-Hire Two Baristas Who Were Fired After Organizing Workers

Link

 

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Media/Tech

 

CWA’s Organizing Update On Alphabet/Google, Lake Michigan Credit Union

Link

 

Google's Massive Layoffs Have Renewed Interest In The Tiny Alphabet Workers Union

Link

 

How Tech Workers' Collective Action Could Increase In 2023

Link

 

Striking HarperCollins Workers Reach Tentative Agreement With Publisher 

Link

 

UAW Announces Pro-Company Tentative Agreement With Publisher 

Link

 

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Healthcare

 

Providence Responds To Doctors’ Effort To Unionize At Its Medford Medical Center

Link

 

Petition Files To Unionize 300 Nurses At St. Joseph Hospital

Link

 

Nurses At George Washington University Hospital In D.C. Are Organizing A Union

Link

 

$25-Per-Hour Statewide Health Care Worker Minimum Wage Bill To Be Introduced This Week

Link

 

Half Of Washington Nurses Likely To Leave Healthcare

Link

 

Nurses Protest Outside Miami V-A Medical Center For Better Salaries

Link

 

Nursing Home Workers At 13 Michigan Facilities Weigh Strike 

Link

 

State Supreme Court Will Not Weigh In On UW Health Nurses' Unionization Efforts

Link

 

Washington's Healthcare Workforce Facing Burnout, Poll Finds

Link

 

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Education

 

Temple Withdraws Free Tuition From Striking Grad Students

Link

 

Following A 6-Week Academic Worker Strike, The University of California Threatens Major Enrollment Cuts To Doctorate Program

Link

 

Coalition To Organize Graduate Students Union To Participate In First-Ever Iowa Troublemakers School

Link

 

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Teamsters

 

Teamsters Prepare For Major Freight Negotiations

Link

 

Strike At ADM Facility Involves Dozens Of Teamsters Members

Link

 

Coca-Cola Consolidated Teamsters Reject Contract Offer

Link

 

Sixty Percent Cut In Benefits Floated For Teamsters' New England Pension Fund

Link

 

Teamsters Ready to ‘fight like hell’ in Upcoming Negotiations

Link

 

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Manufacturing

 

United Steelworkers, ExxonMobil Met To Discuss Backpay At Federal Court Hearing In Houston

LINK

 

Kentucky Ford Workers Look Ahead To Contract Battle: ‘A Strike Is The Only Thing They’re Going To Listen To

Link

 

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Labor Around The World

 

In Mexico, U.S. Complaints Help Union Organizing Efforts

Link

 

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Aviation

 

LaGuardia Airport Workers Claim Anti-Union Retaliation 

Link

 

About Labor Relations INK

Labor Relations INK is published weekly and is edited by Labor Relations Institute, Inc. Feel free to pass this newsletter on to anyone you think might enjoy it. New subscribers can sign up by visiting here.


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Contributing editors for this issue: Phillip Wilson, Greg Kittinger, Michael VanDervort, and Kimberly Ricci 


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About Labor Relations Institute

LRI exists to help our clients thrive and become extraordinary workplaces. We improve the lives of working people by strengthening relationships with their leaders and each other. For over 41 years LRI has led the labor and employee relations industry, driven by our core values and our proven process, the LRI Way.

 

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