FORGING CARDS

Do unions ever forge workers' signatures on cards?

Unfortunately, yes. 


For example, when rumors began to fly that the International Association of Machinists (IAM) was forging signatures of the Delta Air Lines flight attendants they were trying to unionize, several flight attendants sent messages to the National Mediation Board.

 

Three of those messages are shown below.

 

The U.S. Department of Justice investigated and found the IAM had forged the signatures of many Delta employees on authorization cards.

United Steelworkers Union

  • Former President of United Steelworkers Local 4-318 (Edison, N.J.) guilty of embezzling $93,965.00.
  • Former Financial Secretary of United Steelworkers Local 561 (Lancaster, Ohio) guilty of embezzling $24,833.00.
  • Former Secretary-Treasurer of United Steelworkers Local 15485 (Springfield, Mo.) guilty of stealing $12,284.00 in union funds.
  • Former President of United Steelworkers Local 2-47 (Green Bay, Wis.) guilty of theft of “an amount between $2,500 and $5,000.00.”
  • Former Treasurer for United Steelworkers Local 12-1097 (Westport, Ore.) guilty of embezzling $19,911.00.
  • Former President of United Steelworkers Local 378 (Aynor, S.C.) guilty of embezzling $9,345.00.
  • Former Financial Secretary-Treasurer of United Steelworkers Local 208 (Irving, Tex.) guilty of embezzling $54,416.00 of union funds.
  • Former Financial Secretary of United Steelworkers Local 458 (Plant City, Fla.) guilty of embezzling $43,941.00 in union funds.
  • Former Treasurer of United Steelworkers Local 9-458 (Plant City, Fla.) guilty of embezzling $65,895.00.
  • Former Financial-Secretary of United Steelworkers Local 480 (Pottsville, Pa.) guilty of embezzling $2,626.00.

International Brotherhood of

Electrical Workers

  • Former Secretary-Treasurer of IBEW Local 2359 (Sugar Grove, Ohio) guilty of embezzling $158,150.00.
  • Former business manager for IBEW Local 898 (San Angelo, Tex.) guilty of embezzling $11,164.00.
  • Former business manager for IBEW Local 545 (St. Joseph, Mo.) guilty of embezzling $23,768.00.
  • Former dues clerk for IBEW Local 58 (Detroit, Mich.) guilty of embezzling $101,059.00. 
  • Former President of IBEW Local 249 (Geneva, N.Y.) guilty of embezzling $39,049.00.

International Association of Machinists

  • Former Business Representative of International Association of Machinists District Lodge 65 (St. Cloud, Minn.) guilty of stealing $5,919.00. 
  • Former Secretary-Treasurer of International Association of Machinists Lodge 2458 (Minooka, Ill.) guilty of embezzling $62,263.00.

On September 1, 2015, the National Labor Relations Board approved the use of electronic signatures on union authorization cards. 

 

So now, workers can sign up on the internet.

 

Many experts believe this could make it easier for unions to forge workers' signatures, and harder to catch them when they do.

 

Which union was the first to start collecting electronic signatures? 

 

The International Association of Machinists - the same union that forged the cards at Delta!

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