President Obama today
unveiled a paltry $17 billion in cuts to the $3.4 trillion
federal budget, about half of which will come out of defense
spending. But buried in the budget documents
released by the White House today is a 9 percent cut in the unit
of the Department of Labor that is in charge of regulating
unions.
Under the leadership of Elaine Chao during the Bush
administration, the Labor Department's Office of Labor-Management
Standards took its job of policing unions seriously. Its actions
led to 929 convictions of corrupt union officials and to the
recovery of more than $93 million on behalf of union members. Yet
the Obama administration has proposed slashing its budget from
$45 million in 2009 to $41 million in 2010, citing an
insufficient "workload" for the office.
Instead of using the money to make sure unions play by the rules,
the Obama administration proposes shifting resources to the
department's Wage and Hour Division, Office of Federal Contract
Compliance Programs, and the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration -- all areas of the agency focused on regulating
businesses.
Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, who has had a long and
cozy relationship with big labor, already announced recently
that the department would
loosen union disclosure requirements.
These are the type of actions that occur under the radar, out
sight of most Americans, but that have a dramatic impact on life
in the workplace.
The message to crooked union bosses by the Obama administration
is being delivered loudly and clearly: we've got your back.
