The National Legal and Policy Center maintains a running tally of union corruption stories, and is the source for our Sticky Fingers section in each issue of INK. They just released their list of Top Ten union corruption stories for this past year. Making this year’s list: 10.) John Orecchio receives a lengthy sentence for union benefit scams. 9.) M. Patricia Smith, confirmed by the Senate as Labor Solicitor, goes after private-sector employers. 8.) Former Sandhogs union benefits manager Melissa King indicted for $42 million theft. 7.) Union official Warren Annunziata pleads guilty to extortion of school bus companies. 6.) Andrew Stern yields SEIU presidency to Mary Kay Henry. 5.) President Obama appoints Craig Becker to National Labor Relations Board. 4.) Grand jury indicts Colombo mobsters and associates; two defendants may have fleeced Teamsters benefit fund. 3.) Unions negotiate key provisions in final health care bill. 2.) SEIU likely rigged ballots to win Senate re-election for Harry Reid. 1.) Michael Forde, nine others convicted in Carpenters district council racket scheme in New York. Kicking off the new year comes another corruption story. Jesse Daniels of Chicago, retired from the Steelworkers, has been indicted for stealing from the USW Local 1011. As the financial secretary for the union, he was owed a salary of $500 per month, but back in November of 2005 he began padding his salary by an additional $500 per month, and continue the theft until March of 2009, amounting to about $20,500.
