President-Elected George W. Bush’s selection of Linda Chavez for Secretary of Labor is an excellent choice. It demonstrates that the new President is serious about labor law reform. As union corruption watchdog, we are very pleased with the choice.
Union corruption is a growing problem that victimize union members and many others. It needs to be checked. The Bush-Chavez Department of Labor promises to a leader on this front. A strong Office of Labor-Management Standards is a must. OLMS and other DOL arms that investigate and prosecute union corruption are important deterrents to union embezzlement and related crimes. I believe Chavez understands this.
In addition to strict enforcement of existing laws, anti-corruption statutes need to be strengthened. It’s time for the executive and legislative branches to get tougher on corrupt union officials. The Chavez selection is certainly a step in the right direction. We wish her all the best.
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NLPC is a nonpartisan, nonprofit foundation promoting ethics and accountability
in government through research, education and legal action. NLPC's
Organized Labor Accountability Project investigates and exposes corruption
and abuses in the Teamsters, Laborers, AFL-CIO and other labor organizations.
NLPC publishes a fortnightly newsletter, Union Corruption Update, that
details union corruption in many of the unions; past articles may found
by NLPC's union index and state index. For more about NLPC visit
<http://www.nlpc.org>.