Carter Introduces Bills to Close "Union Boss Loophole'

Press Release

Congressman Earl L. "Buddy" Carter (GA-01) introduced two pieces of legislation today to protect workers' rights by curbing intimidation practices of labor unions and their leaders. The Freedom from Union Stalking Act and the Freedom from Union Identity Theft Act would prohibit preemption of state stalking and identity theft laws in the cases of union officials.

"Hardworking Americans should be able to go to work every day without the fear of intimidation or coercion from big union bosses," said Carter. "Under current law, there is an unacceptable "Union Boss Loophole' protecting these scare tactics and preventing the successful prosecution of labor officials in identity theft and cyber security crimes. These bills simply ensure that anti-stalking and anti-identity theft laws are not preempted by the National Labor Relations Act so law enforcement and the court system have the ability protect innocent working families from these appalling crimes. Union bosses are not above the law and their bullying must be explicitly prohibited."

Union officials across the country are getting away with crimes like posting Social Security numbers and other private information, exposing workers to identify theft, credit fraud and other threats, to strong-arm them into joining or supporting union positions. In North Carolina, it was reported that workers who exercised their freedom under North Carolina's Right to Work law and resigned from membership in a labor union had their personal information disseminated via email, including their Social Security numbers. In Connecticut, it was reported that a woman had her identity stolen after expressing her objections to a union. In both cases, because of the "Union Boss Loophole,' the perpetrators were not prosecuted in a court of law.

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