Teachers vs Union

The Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) is a division of the U.S. Department of Labor and stands as a champion of justice. One of its primary roles is to investigate and report the fiscal documents of labor organizations. Perhaps it should come as no great surprise then that this is the only government office from which the Democratic Congress is seeking to cut funds.


Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao wrote an op-ed on this topic. Read it here.


The Office believes that union workers have a right to know how their union dues are spent—especially if such dues are being embezzled. It may be important to some to know that the NEA gave about $65 million to Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow PUSH Coalition and other liberal organizations—organizations that do not relate to education at all.


Furthermore, the OLMS prosecutes embezzlement and corruption within unions. For example, an OLMS investigation of Alan Raines, former Financial Secretary of Steelworkers Local 1358, accused him of embezzling over $274,000 in union funds and of bank fraud. This is one example of many where the OLMS has curbed corruption (click here for criminal prosecutions and here for accounts of civil violations).


Unlike some arguably useless government agencies, the OLMS deserves our support. If funding must be cut from a government agency, Congress should know what cuts to make rather than being blown about by the winds of political expediency. For example, which of the following is more important: the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission or the OLMS? Your Representatives in the U.S. House need to know where you stand on this issue.