It’s been a few moments since we last gathered instances of unions’ unclean hands that don’t quite qualify as textbook cases of United Auto Workers-levels of union corruption but still do not present a great look for organizations that claim to represent workers’ interests.
Those previous examples included Workers United/SEIU’s hypocritical ties with a bank that funds non-progressive causes, accusations that the ACLU illegally fired a worker who voiced concerns about working conditions, and the SEIU being exposed for pushing back against its own workers’ efforts to form a union.
There’s a growing discontent among labor union employees towards their own unions. It’s a trend that’s hard to ignore.
For example:
- The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) was found by the NLRB to have committed a buffet of unfair labor practices against its staffers. Those workers are also members of the Federation of Agents & International Representatives Union (FAIR), who complained that UFCW Local 7 was guilty of bad faith bargaining, willy-nilly modification of work policies, retaliating against union members, and delaying worker-grievance filings.
- The UFCW is also currently embroiled in accusations from the UFCW Guild, affiliated with the CWA and made up of 50 of the UFCW’s own workers. They alleged that the union delivered a “last, best, and final proposal” without substantive changes from the preceding version and “refused to schedule additional bargaining sessions until we voted……again.” Those members also went on a one-day strike to demand better wages and paid sick leave.
- A SEIU-United Healthcare Workers local’s own workers voted to join the CWA-affiliated Washington-Baltimore News Guild and alleged that the SEIU pushed back hard against the organizing campaign. The union’s staffers seek the same “healthcare benefits that many of our members have won in their own contracts.”
- The National Education Association has been condemned by the NEA Staff Union for offering raises that amount to less than $20 per paycheck. These workers are now working on an expired contract and accused the NEA of delaying a weekend bargaining session and leaving members to literally sit at the bargaining table for an entire day before postponing until Monday. NEA staff union members have also authorized a strike while accusing the NEA of hypocritically wielding an “anti-worker playbook against us.”
These unions display a “for thee but not for me” stance when they do not want to answer to a union for their own employees. It’s not entirely surprising to see unions behave in hypocritical ways, but it does beg the question of anyone whose workplace is being targeted for union organizing:
Why do union employees feel the need to seek protection from their labor union employers?
