Webloggin » Democrats Side With Unions to Cut Worker Protection Agency

“It’s for the workers.” That cry, the battle hymn of union led protectionism, is the mating call of Democrats that back union led initiatives. The unions call and the Democrats come running, hands full of favors for helping put them in power in 2006.

As all things political, the cry “for the workers” is nothing more than a union label. A nice cover story for the greedy power hungry leaders of both the political and union leadership.

How else can you explain the fact that Democrats twisted President Bush’s recommended 11% increase for the Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) into a -4% cut? The agency is the government entity that makes sure that the unions are not ripping off its members and ensures that unions properly represent those with which they are put in place to protect. You know, the workers. (h/t Wizbang)

Why would Democrats side with unions over the voters that they promised to protect? Good question.

According to the Chicago Examiner it’s because the OLMS has been doing it’s job too well and the unions want Democrats to protect them as payback for the 2006 election.

OLMS investigates abuse of dues money and monitors compliance with accounting requirements. It’s getting the job done. Since 2001 the courts have ordered restitution of $70 million in OLMS criminal cases. That’s real union money that union bosses are really trying to keep covered up.

Perhaps union officials and their allies in Congress are embarrassed about what the public finds in the union financial disclosures overseen by the agency.

There was the union boss who drove off with a $50,000 parting gift — a Cadillac — as his retirement gift. There are the tens of thousands of dollars spent at steakhouses, including $13,000 from one transportation union alone.

Don’t even ask about the resorts (though UFCW members should ask why their officials spent more than $1 million at a luxurious Florida resort over the last two years). Those are just the cases when the unions comply with current financial disclosure guidelines.

An analysis from the Center for Union Facts based on documents obtained via a Freedom of Information Act request found that only 43 out of 643 union audits — that’s a dismal 6 percent — by OLMS passed muster.

The AFL-CIO in particular has reason to grumble about the OLMS. After a recent review, the agency said it found problems with the federation’s “reporting of executives’ spouses’ travel expenses, handling of credit card charges, missing loan documentation, and other items.” That, and the $36,000 the AFL-CIO sent to a union-friendly group without documentation to support the payment.

This is more of the same from the Democratic party that delivers more in the way of lip service than anything concrete. They stand for the workers and the working poor about as much as the rap industry stands for women’s rights.

Don’t expect the mass media to cover this episode. They are too busy concerning themselves with Bush Derangement Syndrome to care about the workers.