The Trump administration plans to place the previous chief of an anti-union advocacy group in control of the Labor Division’s workplace that oversees monetary disclosures by unions and “union-busting” consultants, HuffPost has discovered.
Elisabeth Messenger, who served because the CEO of the Oklahoma-based People for Truthful Remedy, or AFFT, is predicted to be the brand new director of the federal authorities’s Workplace of Labor-Administration Requirements, based on two sources with data of the scenario.
Billed as a member group, AFFT promotes right-to-work laws and advises public-sector employees like academics on the way to choose out of paying union dues. “Having challenges along with your public-sector union? We may help!” the group’s web site promises.
Though AFFT’s staff page lists Chip Rogers as its present CEO, a separate page on the location nonetheless lists Messenger as a chief government. It says she beforehand labored within the publicity division of Atlantic Information earlier than becoming a member of the group in 2020.
AFFT didn’t reply to a HuffPost voicemail looking for remark Friday.
As the top of OLMS, Messenger can be charged with ensuring unions, in addition to anti-union consultants, make lawful disclosures to the federal government about their work. Whereas labor teams should file annual reviews detailing their funds, employers and consultants should additionally report sure cash spent making an attempt to defeat union organizing campaigns.
Messenger’s background suggests the administration might ramp up oversight of unions whereas shifting away from enforcement in opposition to the so-called “persuaders” who marketing campaign in opposition to unions.
“It’s not only a bureaucrat – they’re placing an actual ideologue in there,” mentioned Bob Funk, director of the watchdog group LaborLab, which tracks anti-union spending by firms.
Funk mentioned he expects a a lot completely different focus than underneath former President Joe Biden, when OLMS made some extent of making an attempt to carry employers and anti-union teams into compliance with the legislation. Shifting ahead, he expects a crackdown on the union facet.
“It appears possible they’ll go after not simply public-sector unions however employee facilities, too,” he mentioned, referencing teams that advocate for employees however will not be thought of unions underneath the legislation.
Trump made some extent of currying favor with some unions throughout his most up-to-date presidential run, however his selection of Messenger to run OLMS gained’t do organized labor any favors. She has been outspoken about what she sees as union bullying and corruption, significantly within the public sector.
In a 2022 podcast interview with the anti-union marketing consultant Peter Checklist, Messenger bemoaned the truth that private-sector employees might be required to pay union dues in the event that they obtain the advantages of a union contract.
“Time and time once more, I see whenever you’re a member of a union, you might be giving up your particular person voice, you might be giving up your energy,” she mentioned. “It simply infuriates me. Numerous these employees simply didn’t have a selection.”
