Lawsuits allege government union officers engaged in dubious financial schemes

Originally published at Broad + Liberty

Union officers have knowingly undermined the financial well-being of their members through deliberate acts of misinformation and misappropriation, according to ongoing litigation in two Pennsylvania-based lawsuits that could have a statewide impact.

In Philadelphia, members of the International Association of Firefighters, Local 22, claim their union officers took part in a decades-long scheme to boost pension benefits for themselves and their friends at the expense of rank-and-file workers. Meanwhile, former corrections officers in Huntingdon have accumulated extensive evidence of theft, forgery, and other acts of personal aggrandizement by union brass.

Both cases could significantly affect government unions that lack transparency, accountability, and fair representation. The lawsuits allege that union officers prioritized their self-interest above the public employees who comprise their collective bargaining unit.

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