cies are made by its convention, its highest governing body, comprised of delegates from all the national and international unions. The governing body between conventions is the Executive Council. Its membership consists of the federation's president, secretary-treasurer and 27 vice presidents. All of these people are elected by majority vote of the convention. They are elected on the belief by members that their interests will be protected. It is obvious the amount of trust and control the leaders have and how easily it could be abused.
The growth of the American labor movement in the 1940's and 1950's was so rapid that it led to an increase in power that was eventually curbed and regulated (that was the goal) by enactment of the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947. Public discontent and opposition from management groups, criticism by government officials and private investigators was high and ultimately led to hearings by Senator John L. McClellan, Chairman of the Select Committee on Improper Activities in the Labor or Management Field. After the disclosure of widespread abuses in internal union affairs, Congress passed the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (Estey, Taft, & Wagner, 1964, pp. 1-2).
Complaints about corruption in the labor movement were cited even before this period of time. As early as the turn of the twentieth century, labor racketeering, the use of union profit for personal profit, had been apparent in the Chicago and New York City building trades and longshore industry. Specific crimes included extorting money from employers and embezzling union funds. The attitude of union members, however, showed no displeasure with these activities, as union leaders were elected and reelected. Workers seemed only concerned with their own interests, e.g. enough jobs, satisfactory working and wage conditions and union protection if and when needed. For the most part, they seemed to be receiving these ben...