Time’s up for today’s Big Labor bosses

Unfortunately, this type of behavior is what we’ve come to expect from today’s labor leaders.

Consider the United Auto Workers (UAW). Several members have reported cases of sexual harassment at unionized plants. Tonya Exum, an employee at a Ford plant in Chicago, claimed she was “harassed by lewd comments from day one.” She reported being “frequently groped” by her male colleagues and that “smacks on the bottom were a common occurrence.”

She and 30 other employees filed a lawsuit against the company for what was described as a “pervasive behavior afflicting every corner of the plant.”

When these women tried to report a case of sexual harassment, the UAW turned a blind eye. In the worst instances, union representatives would threaten these women into silence. Or, they might attempt to manipulate female employees into believing “it’s not sexual harassment if they only do it one time.”

Workers aren’t faring much better at the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

In 2017, top SEIU official Tyrek D. Lee Sr. was accused by multiple staffers of pursuing “sexual relationships with female co-workers.” In response, union executives took to Twitter to smear Lee’s accusers, implying the women speaking up were “whores.” Regardless, Lee was allowed to stay with the union. He was even given a spot at the Harvard Trade Union Program — one of the most prestigious programs attended by U.S. labor leaders.

Around the same time, an investigation into sexual harassment at the SEIU’s “Fight for 15” movement led to the resignation of union Vice President Scott Courtney, as well as the termination of three other staffers. Employees interviewed said, “complaints about top-level staff on the Fight for 15 were an open secret.” They also claimed reports of “abusive behavior … led to no action.”

Ironic, since the Fight for 15 movement claims its goal is not only to raise the minimum wage but to protect workers from sexual harassment on the job. It appears the movement’s organizers didn’t get the memo.

Then there’s the ongoing lawsuit against the vice president of the SEIU’s largest local. Dave Regan has been accused of “sexual misconduct and assault” by a former union employee. When a second staffer came forward to corroborate the allegations against Regan, she was fired. Not only that, but the union actually sued her for defamation.

Regan has since warned other whistleblowers against coming forward. His accuser believes the union wants “other people to be afraid of speaking up.”

Widespread sexual misconduct in today’s labor movement is no secret — women have been trying to speak out for years. And yet, our politicians still accept union donations in exchange for political influence. They even compete against one another for union endorsements. All the while, these unions get away with using pro-worker rhetoric to downplay the fact that they often don’t practice what they preach.

But time’s up for today’s abusive labor leaders. This latest case at AFGE should force the public and our politicians to ask: How many more skeletons need to fall out of Big Labor’s closet before we accept this is a systematic problem, not just a case of a few bad apples?

Charlyce Bozzello is the communications director at the Center for Union Facts.