We hope you all had a relaxing Labor Day weekend and a well-deserved break. One thing that doesn’t take a break, however, is union corruption, so let’s get back to business with a roundup of Big Labor’s white-collar crime:
Ex-Boilermakers officers’ sentencing delayed: This corruption case for the ages is a modern-day example of why union financials should be more transparent. Back in June, ex-International President Newton Jones, his wife, and two other officers were convicted of racketeering, embezzlement, and conspiracy charges. Their total take was $15+ million, which they spent on luxury travel and goods, tuition for family, and a no-show job for Jones’ wife. Sentencing has now been postponed until December.
Former IBEW officer released: Last week, John “Johnny Doc” Dougherty had his sentence commuted from six to four years by President Trump. Once the business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 98, Dougherty was indicted in 2019 and later convicted of embezzlement and charges related to influencing local officials in Philadelphia. His convictions remain on the books, since a commutation is not a pardon.
An ex-union president’s $1 million fraud conviction: The Justice Department (DOJ) announced the conviction of Kimberly Goodwin for wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering. As ex-President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2419, Goodwin funneled dues money to her personal bank accounts after she stepped down in 2019. The transfers also somehow continued to Goodwin’s “sham consulting company” after this local went defunct. Co-conspirator Kelleigh Williams was convicted in 2025 for her role in the scheme.
Now let’s compare current events for two deep-pocketed unions:
Bye-bye, bad deeds? The Teamsters officially saw their 37-year federal monitorship end. A Southern District of New York judge granted the joint motion from the union and the Department of Justice (DOJ), and President Sean O’Brien claimed that his union proved that it had put a rigorous set of checks and balances into place. He even insisted that it was doing so better than every other union: “The controls in place in the Teamsters today to operate a strong, transparent, and progressive union are more stringent than any labor organization in the country.”
Truthful or not, O’Brien is doing better in the eyes of the law than United Auto Workers (UAW) president Shawn Fain is currently faring.
Fain remains the focus of a grand jury subpoena issued to federal monitor Neil Barofsky as part of “a criminal investigation into Mr. Fain’s conduct, prompted by the monitor’s findings.” Barofsky has issued sixteen reports that include allegations about Fain’s questionable financial expenditures and retaliatory ways. Also, Fain took office in 2023 and later dissolved the union’s reform caucus, which isn’t a good look for a so-called “reformer.”
Is that all? Nope. Progressive publication Labor Notes recently announced a pamphlet, “How to Build a Union Reform Caucus,” that’s on sale for $10. As the booklet’s description reads, “A reform caucus is simply a group of union members who are organizing together to improve their union, [sic] and build its power to effectively fight the boss.” Seems like that’s needed.
