Five years ago, the Kansas City Star investigated the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers (“Boilermakers”) union and discovered excess spending and lack of accountability by its leaders. In response, union executives cut salaries and expenses, as well as some positions, in a show of making amends. Those amends were short lived, however. In a recent followup to their original investigation, The Star discovered that the Boilermakers have not only returned to their excess spending habits and nepotism, but executive salaries have greatly exceeded levels from 2012, costing union members $3.5m annually.
Read more about this story and the impact it is having on the union and its declining enrollment numbers here.
