It’s perhaps the least reported and most blatant, widespread and egregious hypocrisy (of many) in the labor movement – the firing of union staff members by their union bosses for daring to try to organize their own staff unions. Little if any true investigative reporting has been done on union bosses as employers who wipe their feet on the NLRA. And the question is seldom if ever asked why all union staff members are not working under their own collective bargaining agreements even as they preach the paramount importance of union contracts to others. In the most recent example, David Highnote, the former Assistant Director of Communications of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), filed an unfair labor practice charge with the NLRB on April 12, alleging the ATU first threatened and then fired him for organizing the union’s professional staff. The union’s president, Larry Hanley, is also under DOL investigation for (excuse the tautology) “illegal and corrupt union election practices”. Only two weeks after Highnote signed his union card and started an organizing campaign, a senior advisor to Hanley allegedly threatened, “I only want to say this once. Larry (Hanley) is sensitive to all of the things going on in and outside of the office. If we find out that you are discussing workplace conditions with co-workers or anyone else, then one strike and you’re out.” One has to applaud Highnote’s courage in filing his ULP complaint against his former employer, as it’s safe to assume that action has essentially ended his union career. Congratulations, Dave and trust it’s all uphill from here. We can also add Dave’s story to the ever growing list of examples of unions bosses behaving badly including UFCW staffers being called “completely clueless, unappreciative, and incompetent” for attempting to organize, AFSCME staff members being denied card check and the UAW imposing a staff contract their staff members had voted down.
