VERNUCCIO AND KOVACS: Big union's unethical influence in government - Washington Times

VERNUCCIO AND KOVACS: Big union's unethical influence in government - Washington Times

In one of the most glaring examples of Washington’s sordid revolving-door political culture, former National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) member Craig Becker took a job as co-general counsel with the AFL-CIO barely six months after leaving the government. Mr. Becker was the first-ever NLRB member to be appointed directly from a union. At the time of his recess appointment by President Obama, he worked as an attorney for the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

The fact that Mr. Becker left a large union, worked for the federal agency that is supposed to function as a neutral arbitrator in labor disputes, and then went back to another labor organization as soon as his appointment ended should raise questions about his ability to act as an independent judge.

A review of Mr. Becker’s record at the NLRB reveals a consistent pattern of pro-union activism. The only functional difference between his post at the board and his job as a union lawyer is that taxpayers paid his salary at the NLRB.