Update: Senator Harkin justifies vote saying NLRB nomineee “cannot” change the rules
When it comes to whether NLRB nominee Craig Becker can “implement the Employee Free Choice Act by administrative fiat,” AFL-CIO’s Stewart Acuff says “yes”. Senator Harkin justified his pro-Becker vote yesterday by saying “no”. This comes directly from Senator Tom Harkin’s prepared statement at the HELP Committee Executive Session on Pending Nominations yesterday. Shout out to [more...]

Posted Fri, 05 Feb 2010 .

AFL-CIO’s Stewart Acuff: NLRB appointees can “change the rules”
Update: Senator Harkin justifies vote saying NLRB nomineee “cannot” change the rules As the Director of Organizing at the AFL-CIO, Stewart Acuff draws a smaller crowd than the SEIU’s Andy Stern or his boss at the AFL-CIO, Richard Trumka. But that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have something laughable to say. In his poorly timed Huffington Post [more...]

Posted Thu, 04 Feb 2010 .

State Of The Unions

Union officials claim to represent workers' interests. The numbers tell a different story. Here are some vital statistics to keep in mind:

Finances and Membership
Total Union Members in 2005:	15.7 million
Total Union Assets in 2004:	$15.7 billion

Union Officials and Staff
Total Union Officials and Staff in 2004:	175,000+
Total Union Officials and Staff Compensation in 2004:	$3.7 billion

Number of Union Officials and Staff Making More Than $75,000 in 2004:	13,875

Political Activity
Total Union Political Action Committees Registered in the 2004 cycle:	368
Union PAC Money Spent on Political Candidates (2003-2004):	$84.8 million

Diversity
Major Unions with White Presidents:	94%
Major Unions with Male Presidents:	95%

Discrimination
EEOC Discrimination Charges Filed Against Unions since 2000:	13,815
Fines Paid Resulting From EEOC Charges:	$6 million

Crime, Corruption, and Violence
Recorded Incidents of Union Violence and Intimidation since 1975:	9,000 +

Union Racketeering Indictments since 2001:	1,142
Fines Paid Resulting from DOL Racketeering Investigations since 2001:	$400 million

NLRB Activity
Total Unfair Labor Practices Filed Against Unions since 2000:	43,365
Total NLRB Elections Lost by Unions in 2004:	1,272