Here are this week’s top stories.
🚨 This Week’s Biggest Abuse
Former Kentucky Police Union President Sentenced for Wire Fraud
A former president of a Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police lodge has been sentenced for wire fraud, according to the Lexington Herald Leader.
It is the third consecutive week that financial misconduct involving a union official has led the Union Accountability Report.
Why it matters
Workers should be able to trust the people handling money collected in their name. Another criminal case involving a union official is another reminder of why financial transparency, strong oversight and workers’ freedom to decide whether to financially support a union matter.
⚠️ Inside the Union
Police Union Defends Officer Akron Intends to Fire After Fatal Shooting
The Akron police union says the city intends to fire an officer involved in the fatal shooting of Jazmir Tucker, and the union is defending the officer as that process moves forward, according to Signal Akron.
Why it matters
Unions have a role in representing their members, but cases involving serious misconduct can put that representation in direct tension with public accountability. Workers and taxpayers deserve transparency about how union power is being used when the stakes are this high.
💰 Follow the Money
Denver Firefighters Fight Their Own Union Over $389,000 in Dues
Denver firefighters are suing their state union and the International Association of Fire Fighters as they attempt to break away from the organization.
At the center of the dispute: approximately $389,000 in dues and whether the local can disaffiliate from the larger union structure, according to FireRescue1.
Why it matters
This one goes straight to the heart of worker freedom. If workers decide an organization no longer represents them, they should have a meaningful way to leave it. A six-figure legal battle between firefighters and their own union hierarchy shows how difficult that choice can become.
⚖️ In the Courts
Federal Union Joins Lawsuit Over IRS Order
The National Treasury Employees Union has joined a lawsuit challenging an IRS immunity order tied to the Trump administration, arguing that employees could be forced into actions that violate their oath of office, according to FEDweek.
Why it matters
Federal employees hold a wide range of political views. When a public-sector union enters a politically charged legal fight in workers’ names, members deserve to know where their organization is taking a stand and how union resources are being used.
👀 Worth Watching
Workers Vote Out SAG-AFTRA. KOMO employees voted to decertify SAG-AFTRA, giving workers a real-world example of employees exercising their right to remove a union they no longer want representing them.
Thousands Could Walk Off the Job. Thousands of unionized San Jose workers were preparing to vote on whether to authorize a strike, a decision that could put workers’ paychecks and city services on the line.
Teamsters Take On a Hollywood Megamerger. Teamsters Local 399 is demanding proof that the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger would benefit workers, placing union leadership directly into a major corporate dealmaking fight.
Automation Battle Continues. The Teamsters say driverless semis threaten 200,000 jobs as the union continues its legal fight over California’s autonomous-truck rules.
📊 By the Numbers
- $389,000 — Dues at the center of Denver firefighters’ fight to break away from their state union.
- 200,000 — Jobs the Teamsters say could be threatened by driverless semis.
- Thousands — San Jose workers considering whether to authorize a strike.
A union official sentenced for wire fraud. Firefighters fighting their own union over nearly $400,000 in dues. A police union battling a city over accountability. A federal union entering a politically charged lawsuit. And workers in Seattle voting to remove a union they no longer want.
Workers deserve to know how the organizations claiming to represent them are using their money and power—and workers deserve a meaningful choice about who represents them.
That’s what the Union Accountability Center is here to do.
We’ll be back next week with another look at the stories making headlines—and the stories that deserve more attention.
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