Partnership councils are also being used to advance the careers of corrupt Union officials. Management gets what it wants, and the Union sells out the employees. Unions are supposed to be democratic organizations that represent the interests of their members. Md. The real business of the Union is to protect the position of Union officers and, if possible, advance them to a national Union office. They use their offices to provide employment opportunities to their family members and their friends, to obtain promotions for themselves, and to obtain special retirement opportunities that are not available to other employees.
Union officers spend all day, every day on official time.
They hold office for most of their careers since reelection is practically guaranteed. Favored reps receive additional official time for their allegiance to the executive board, therefore, they do not need to do additional representation to stay away from their jobs. Many dedicated representatives have been forced out because of Union politics or have left in disgust. The representatives that remain do not have the training or the inclination to handle an arbitration or complex issues. In the last year alone four Union officers and stewards, who have challenged these practices or investigated Union corruption, have been removed from their positions and stripped of their duties.