Posts tagged Kansas
Boilermakers trial: Union leaders used $20M as ‘personal piggy banks,’ gov’t says
May 8, 2026 // “No foreign destination was beyond their reach,” she said. “Newton Jones hired family member after family member. His brother, sister, son, daughter and his wife, Kateryna Jones.” He also enriched himself by firing the CEO of a union-affiliated bank and putting himself in charge, Alhambra said, earning hundreds of thousands a year in that position. “All of it was illegal,” Alhambra told jurors. “And where did that money come from? It came straight from the pockets of Boilermakers members.”
Racketeering trial starts for former KC-based union leaders accused of $20M theft
May 4, 2026 // “What makes this trial so significant is that it is not only about the individuals who were indicted,” he said. “It is also about the system and the culture that allowed this to ever happen. “Newton Jones and what federal prosecutors have described as the ‘Jones Enterprise’ would not have been able to allegedly racketeer, embezzle, or misuse union resources if the people sworn to uphold their constitutional duties had taken that oath seriously.” The Boilermakers deserve better, Sulivan said. “This trial should be a turning point, not just for accountability for the past, but for rebuilding and restructuring our organization for the future,” he said.
Hundreds of union workers, supporters join picket line in strike at KC-area ammo plant
April 21, 2026 // Striking workers are walking in four-hour shifts and have been on the line round-the-clock since the strike began. Among the issues workers face, union leaders say, is low pay. Entry level wages range from $20.60 an hour to $21.75.
A giant barrier to being self-employed is falling, state by state
April 13, 2026 // As more states pass permanent reforms, millions of independent contractors could gain access to benefits they’ve never enjoyed. But states aren’t the only ones that can act. Congress could also amend federal law so that companies may offer benefits without facing liability. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana) and Rep. Kevin Kiley (I-California) have introduced bills to that effect in their respective chambers. They deserve the support of the full Congress and the White House in giving millions more workers long-term financial security along with the flexibility that self-employment provides. The portable benefits revolution can’t sweep the nation fast enough.
States Lead the Way on Portable Benefits and Flexible Work
March 24, 2026 // The momentum behind portable benefits reflects the strength of a growing network of organizations and leaders committed to modernizing workforce policy. Americans for Prosperity has worked in conjunction with a diverse range of state and national organizations including the Mercatus Center, Libertas Institute, Institute for the American Worker, Independent Women, R Street Institute, and more from state to state. With research, data, examples of those who would benefit, and a dose of optimism, the educational outreach to highlight how beneficial these reforms are to American families has created a surge of interest among state lawmakers who increasingly understand this golden opportunity to help their residents thrive in today’s economy including shifts due to the rise of AI and other technology.
The Rise of Portable Benefits
March 19, 2026 // States like Alabama, Tennessee, Utah, West Virginia, and Wyoming have already enacted voluntary portable benefits frameworks. Others—including Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Georgia—have launched pilot programs. And a growing number of states—from Connecticut to Kansas to Hawaii—are actively considering legislation.
Two ex-Boilermakers plead guilty in $20M racketeering case involving KC-based union
March 17, 2026 // Two former members of the Kansas City-based International Brotherhood of Boilermakers set to go to trial in May pleaded guilty Monday to racketeering conspiracy and embezzlement from a labor organization in an alleged $20 million scheme involving union funds. Warren Fairley — who took over for a short stint as president of the union in 2023 after its leaders ousted longtime leader Newton Jones — and Jones’ son, Cullen Jones, entered their guilty pleas in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kansas.
Boilermakers members call for federal probe into KC-based union’s elections
February 24, 2026 // Filed by two members of Kansas City’s Local 83, the complaint was sent to the Office of Labor-Management Standards, an agency within the Labor Department. It alleges that the union’s election system locks rank-and-file members out of the process and ensures that those in power will remain in their positions. The action comes as a trial is approaching in a federal corruption case in which several former union executives — among them ousted International President Newton Jones — are charged with allegedly scheming to steal $20 million in union funds. The union’s executive council voted to remove Jones in 2023, accusing him of misusing union funds for personal gain, including funneling large sums of money to his Ukrainian wife for work she never performed.
Over 600 workers begin strike at 2 GE Aerospace facilities
September 2, 2025 // The Boeing engine supplier will continue to provide benefits to the striking union members at its sites in Ohio and Kentucky in accordance with the law, according to the company’s website.
Boilermakers sue ex-president, demand he repay union nearly $500,000 he ‘misused’
August 3, 2025 // The Kansas City-based International Brotherhood of Boilermakers is suing the president it ousted two years ago, demanding that Newton Jones pay back nearly $500,000 of union money it says he misused. Filed Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, the lawsuit says Jones has ignored the union’s order to reimburse the money he’s accused of taking.