One would be hard pressed to ever find a shortage of stories about union corruption, and this month, the scandals run far and wide. From misappropriation of dues to apparent collusion with the Biden administration to eyebrow-raising audit results and more, this update brings a cornucopia full of hands in the cookie jar. 

Let’s start with a few hits from the most notorious recent offender, the United Auto Workers union, which can’t seem to overcome its well-earned reputation of corruption. Granted, the union isn’t working too hard to straighten up, as evidenced by a refusal to cooperate with its federally mandated watchdog, along with these new offenses:

• Current UAW President Ray Curry’s days could be numbered, and one of his rivals, Will Lehmen, put the union on blast with claims that the UAW engaged in intimidation tactics (which were reportedly caught on video) against his campaign at the Flint GM Assembly plant. Union officials even allegedly directed GM security to boot Lehmen from the premises while he spoke with workers. Lehmen sums up this behavior as characteristic of the UAW, which he called out for its history of accepting corporate bribes while secretly working against the workers who they claim to represent. Flint workers echoed Lehmen's concerns while claiming that the union also “bullied” them in an apparent attempt to suppress the vote while ignoring “terrible” workplace conditions at the plant.

• A New York GM worker recently won a settlement after UAW officers illegally siphoned money from his wages to finance union politics. The union did so despite the worker renouncing his union membership, and the UAW’s behavior shines light on how only Right to Work states (New York isn’t one) make union membership (and its dues) voluntary. National Right to Work Foundation attorneys stepped up to force the UAW to refund the worker’s money under the CWA v. Beck Supreme Court precedent, which (at least) protects non-union members from paying dues in excess of collective bargaining activities.

• On a related note, a USF Holland freight worker won a $10,500 settlement from the Teamsters and his employer, which illegally fired him for refusing to join the union. This case also fell under the CWA v. Beck umbrella, which continues to safeguard workers in the 23 states that lack the Right to Work distinction.

• A financial record audit of a New Mexico Teamsters local revealed irregularities related to the operations of a Los Angeles local. Long story short: 200 film industry members of the New Mexico local got bumped over to the LA local with film-industry jurisdiction being transferred accordingly. All of this happened due to “significant member concerns around the [local’s] referral rules and financial structure.” The shakeup led two of the New Mexico local’s leading officers to resign amid claims about their “dictatorship” of the local’s movie division.

• The Biden administration’s love affair with unions is no secret, but the smell of collusion is strong with this story: the National Federation of Federal Employees likely never meant to publish a news release (which has since disappeared) that credited Biden with helping the union increase membership by enabling NFEE to target workers through FedScope, the database that tracks federal employees. The sketchiest part of this story: the administration did so by funneling taxpayer dollars toward the Office of Personnel Management to alter FedScope and help unions recruit more members and (of course) the dues that come with them.