Mike Enzi: “This is so my colleagues can see how many union-represented employees have been protected in their States. These numbers…”

“This is so my colleagues can see how many union-represented employees have been protected in their States. These numbers indicate that union corruption is not an issue to which we can turn a blind eye. It may not be seen as politically correct by some in this body to fund an office that audits and investigates unions. But the truth is that having a strong Office of Labor Management Standards is the best thing we can do to help the labor movement. Sunshine is the best disinfectant. When rank-and-file employees feel everything is in the open and they can trust union leaders, they are probably more likely to join one. It was the outcry of rank-and-file union members themselves that actually created the Office of Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act. That act was born in the wake of egregious cases of fraudulent elections, embezzlement, and strong-arm tactics by a number of unions. The law also works to prevent backroom dealings between employers and union leaders that disadvantage the employees. The first section of the law, the Union Members Bill of Rights, was added by then-Senator and later President John F. Kennedy. I certainly understand that not every department can receive an increase in every budget year. But what this bill does is quite remarkable. It singles out this one office, the Office of Labor-Management Standards, as the only enforcement agency in the whole bill to have its funding decreased.…”