the official blog of the evergreen freedom foundation

In 2006, SEIU Local 660, which represents 39,000 workers in Los Angeles, spent $27,142 on a dinner outing at the Medieval Times, a dinner theater event that features “snowy Andalusians and medieval pageantry, coupled with a sumptuous feast.”

 

It looks like a great show, what does this have to do with collective bargaining?

 

Thanks to federal disclosure requirements, Local 660 members can review how their union spends dues. It turns out this union spent a lot on entertainment, paying for tickets and outings to Disneyland ($321,787), movies and theaters ($141,887), Legoland ($43,209), Knotts Berry Farm ($80,273), Sea World ($67,296), Six Flags Magic Mountain ($51,901), and Universal Studios ($115,245).

 

Transparency is the key to accountability. Political candidates must reveal their supporters, government actions are reviewed through open meetings and public records laws, and corporations must give shareholders detailed financial reports. It’s human nature: the potential for corruption is greatly reduced when someone else looks over your shoulder.

 

But public-sector unions in Washington have no such obligation to disclose financial transactions to their members. The federal requirements that revealed the Local 660 equestrian dinner theater trip don’t apply to unions that represent government employees (including teachers). Unions spend millions of dollars of dues without public employees knowing the particulars.

 

There’s a solution. Our Worker-Right-To-Know Act extends the federal requirements to public-sector unions so that government employees are able to make informed decisions about union membership. Other states require unions to be accountable to their members. Shouldn't we?