Posts tagged LM-2
Former Local 98 President Brian Burrows Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Embezzlement of Union Funds, Filing False Government Reports, and Tax Fraud
June 28, 2024 // United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Brian Burrows, 64, of Mount Laurel, NJ, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl to 48 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, forfeiture of $135,689.11, an $1,800 special assessment, and restitution to be determined later, for crimes arising from his embezzlement of funds belonging to Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (“Local 98”). Burrows had served as the President of Local 98 since 2008. The only person who held a higher office in the union was his codefendant, Business Manager John Dougherty.
Ontario Trucking Employee Who Revealed Union Boss Salaries Hits Teamsters Union with Federal Charge After Job Threats
February 6, 2024 // “We will not be deterred by their bullying tactics and the baseless accusations they levy against myself and others. I hope that the actions of the officials from Teamsters Local 63 serve as a clear example to my colleagues that the union cannot dispute the facts of their incompetence in representing us, so they must resort to intimidation and slanderous accusations. We will remain steadfast in our pursuit of a better future for ourselves and our families.”
Janus had a large impact on union membership, five years later
November 22, 2023 //
Elisabeth Messenger: Where Do Your Union Dues Go?
September 1, 2023 // I think when a union can stay very independent and hyper-local, it can be what it was meant to be, and that is a force to speak for all, to help all, to protect all, to raise all at the same time. But again, it’s only when it’s independent it’s not tied to a national, bloated corporate union. And it’s only when it’s at the local level.
NEA, IEA SPEND LITTLE ON REPRESENTING TEACHERS, BUT PRIORITIZE POLITICS
July 26, 2023 // Illinois teachers concerned about how NEA and IEA spend their hard-earned money have options. They can stop paying dues by opting out of union membership yet maintain all of the raises and other benefits their employers provide. Other professional organizations can provide liability insurance and job protection coverage, often at a fraction of the price of union membership. Less than 8% of NEA and IEA’s combined spending was on representing teachers in 2022 NEA and IEA spent a combined $659 million in 2022, according to the unions’ LM-2s, which are reporting documents the unions filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. $2.5 million to For our Future Action Fund, which claims to “build progressive power” $500,000 to Building Back Together, the organization “advanc[ing] the policy agenda of the Biden-Harris Administration” $450,000 to Strategic Victory Fund, which seeks to build “the infrastructure needed to build long-term progressive agendas and issue advocacy in states” $395,000 to Chicago-based Midwest Academy, a training organization that claims “empowering progressive organizers is our mission” $300,000 to America Votes, the “coordination hub of the progressive community” $270,000 to Democracy Alliance, an organization seeking to “advance progressive policy reforms” $225,000 to State Innovation Exchange, which equips legislators to “move bold, progressive public policy” $150,000 to Progressive Caucus Action Fund, which publishes a “progressive playbook”
JANUS V. AFSCME AT FIVE: GOVERNMENT UNION MEMBERSHIP AT RECORD LOWS
June 21, 2023 //
ONE-THIRD OF SEIU WORKERS REJECT UNION MEMBERSHIP
June 8, 2023 // At least one-third of workers represented by the Service Employees International Union Healthcare Illinois-Indiana, or SEIU HCII, don’t seem to think the union’s services are worth their money. The union’s website claims it represents more than 91,000 workers in four states, but its most recent report to the U.S. Department of Labor revealed it has fewer than 60,000 members.
When workers in Michigan had a choice, they left unions
April 17, 2023 // Although the state has seen a 20% increase in the number of jobs since 2012, union membership has declined by 26.4%. Some 143,000 members chose to leave their unions while they had the right. The state’s largest unions shed an additional 5,250 members last year, according to their Form LM-2 financial reports for 2021 and 2022. Freedom will come to an end for many workers. Employees at unionized workplaces will likely be forced again to pay union dues as a condition of employment. The American Federation of Teachers lost 15.3% of its Michigan members during the right-to-work era, the biggest percentage loss of any union in the state. Membership in the teachers union crashed from 20,063 to 16,994 between 2012 and 2022. AFSCME Council 25 had the second biggest percentage loss at 14.4%, losing 150 members.
The UAW lost members in Michigan last year
April 6, 2023 // ccording to the UAW’s recently released federal LM-2 form, the international union went from 372,000 members in 2021 to 383,000 members in 2022. That’s an increase, but the number is still down from the 700,000-plus members the union had in 2001 and the 430,000 it had in 2016. The Michigan branch of the UAW declined by about 50 people last year, from 133,999 to 133,946. UAW-Michigan is down from 270,000 members in 2001 and 154,000 in 2016. These losses came even though, according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs in auto manufacturing in Michigan are up about 20,000 over the past decade. While there are more jobs in its core industry, UAW-Michigan lost more than 10,000 members during that time, likely thanks to workers exercising their right to get out of union membership under Michigan’s right-to-work law. The UAW has been dealing with massive corruption issues including convictions for federal crimes that sent many of its top leaders to prison in recent years.
FEA: Where Do Your Union Dues Go? A LOOK AT Florida Education Association SPENDING 2019 – 2021
March 20, 2023 // Spending on political activities and lobbying remained relatively steady over the past three years. In 2021, the union spent $5.3 million on political activities and lobbying. About $800,000 of this went to employees and officers as compensation for their political activity and lobbying efforts. Other expenditures went to public affairs advertising ($2.7 million), the union’s “Fund Our Future” project ($672,715), and to outside firms for lobbying ($119,993) including $50,000 to Florida Pastors for Children for state legislative issue advocacy. The union also gave $567,000 to the FEA Advocacy Fund, the FEA’s political arm.