Staff Reports
Labor Day is supposed to honor hard work. But recent news shows we also need to honor common sense — and demand accountability from the people who run labor unions. Recent federal cases and fresh polling expose a messy truth: Americans like unions, but some union leaders are lining their pockets while members pay the bill.
Union corruption in the headlines: convictions and guilty pleas
Federal prosecutors recently won a jury verdict against Kimberly Goodwin, the former president of AFGE Local 2419, saying she diverted nearly $1 million in union funds through a sham company and spent the cash on personal items. Around the same time, Kye Carbone, the former president of United Federation of College Teachers Local 1460, pled guilty after prosecutors say he stole more than $290,000 for restaurants, travel and other personal expenses. Those are not garden‑variety bookkeeping errors. These are criminal cases that show how power and secrecy can corrupt union leadership.
Public approval vs. leadership abuse — a strange split
Gallup polling shows about 70% of Americans approve of labor unions and a record share want unions to have more influence. That’s a headline that gets politicians excited. But liking unions in theory is not the same as tolerating theft or bad management. Voters can want worker rights and still demand transparency. The two aren’t mutually exclusive. If unions want public trust, they must earn it — not take it for granted.
Right-to-work and the cost of rigid union rules
Twenty‑six states have right‑to‑work laws that protect a worker’s choice not to join a union or pay dues. That matters. Rigid union contracts can lock in outdated rules, slow innovation, and even block safety‑improving automation when leaders are more focused on preserving jobs than protecting people. Corporate collapses like Yellow Corporation had many causes, but the disputes over benefits and work rules show how messy the mix can be when unions and management clash. Freedom for workers to choose, paired with real oversight of union finances, is the sensible middle ground.
Fix unions where they’re broken — don’t tear down labor itself
Unions once fought real abuses and still do good work in many places. The answer is not to demonize unions wholesale, but to clean house where leaders betray members. More transparency, stronger internal controls, and tougher enforcement against theft would help. So would policies that protect worker choice, like right‑to‑work laws. Celebrate Labor Day by standing up for honest unions and for workers’ freedom — not for self‑dealing bosses in union suits.
