George Will claims AFL-CIO receives dues from foreign entities...just like U.S. Chamber of Commerce

[ProSense]

Politifact: George Will claims AFL-CIO receives dues from foreign entities associated with it - just like U.S. Chamber of Commerce

<...>

Will's statement is technically true, said AFL-CIO spokesman Eddie Vale, but requires some caveats.

The AFL-CIO (it stands for American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations) is a federation of dozens of unions, so it doesn't have individual members in and of itself. The members belong to unions which in turn are members of the AFL-CIO.

And some of the AFL-CIO's affiliates do have Canadian members -- most notably the United Auto Workers and United Steelworkers unions. Those union affiliates pass through a portion of the dues they collect from American members to the AFL-CIO, but not from their foreign members, said Vale.

"We don't take money at the national level from foreign members," Vale said.

There's another big difference in disclosure requirements between unions and groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. While FEC and IRS laws do not require unions to disclose donors -- just as they do not require disclosure of donors to trade groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce -- unions are subject to the Labor Management Relations Act, which requires public disclosure of payments over $5,000 to unions. So you can go to the Department of Labor's website and search the contributions to (and disbursements made by) the AFL-CIO and other unions in any given year.

"Our information, people can see it," Vale said.

<...>

Obviously, unions aren't afraid to show who their donors are. Dear Chamber, your turn.

[LiberalFighter]

1. I don't know about the Steelworkers but the UAW's foreign members

is very minimal. And they are all Canadians.

[Democrats_win]

2. George Will is an apologist for the failed "Conservative" movement.

Here he defends the corrupt COC. In Sunday's newspaper he was yapping about "Liberal Overreach." As if the Conservative overreach didn't give us the Bush Depression, the BP Oil fiasco or the Bush wars that did nothing but shoot America in the foot. George Will should identify himself as a biased Conservative apologist before he speaks or writes.

[tomm2thumbs]

8. wish he's apologize for that rug his brain keeps trying to sweep the facts under

[BlueMTexpat]

9. Will doesn't think there is anything wrong with cheating either,

so long as the cheating is done by Republicans.
He was present at sessions where Reagan was briefed with Carter's stolen briefing book before their debates in 2000. Will saw nothing wrong with that.

[TexasProgresive]

3. It is illegal for unions to make political donations from dues

That's why unions have PACs such as CWA'a COPE which I donate to every month. So what if unions have non-American members-their dues are not spent on politics and neither are mine. These stupid turds don't know the truth and just make up stuff for others stupid turds to believe.

[BlueIdaho]

4. Remind me again, when was the last time George Will was right about anything? nt.

[whistler162]

5. Well he did perdict the 2005 World series winner.....

the Houston Astros!

[BlueIdaho]

6. Ohhhhhhh - good catch! Thanks!

[gort]

7. I wonder if George thinks this as bad as receiving stolen property

in the form of President Carter's 1980 debate book and then turning it over to the Reagan camp...?

[baldguy]

10. George Will doesn't know anything about baseball, either.

[budkin]

11. George Will is living in another world. A world where Reagan is president for all time