Media Mum on AFL-CIO Florida Trip

March 5th, 2009 3:53 PM

It’s a bad time to be taking a “business” trip to a luxurious retreat in a warm climate. Especially if you’re doing it on someone else’s dime. If the networks find out, they’ll sneak hidden cameras in and report every detail of your lavish parties, and issue outraged cries about living high while others suffer. But, wait, you’re a union, not a company?

Never mind. You may have to dodge that pesky Fox News reporter, but the networks are only interested in corporate wrongdoing.

Labor leaders began meeting March 4 at the recently renovated (for $1 billion dollars) Fountainebleu hotel in Miami. Apparently, there are some things they could only discuss things at a $400/night resort. The best part for these AFL-CIO sun seekers? The entire cushy trip is paid for by union members’ dues:the same people currently losing their jobs hand over fist.

The meeting is evidently designed make sure the AFL-CIO can get hold of more members’ dues. The retreat is for union leaders to strategize on how to make sure they get passage of “Card Check,” the legislation designed to end the secret ballot and sign up more members. More members mean more money.

The broadcast networks, who’s “investigative reporters” have so doggedly exposed the private jets, five star junkets and decorating excesses of  companies lately, have cut the AFL-CIO some slack. Neither the evening news programs nor the morning shows even noted the gathering. Only Fox News sent a correspondent, Brian Wilson, to detail the hard work union bosses were doing.

Despite the March 5 visit of Vice President Joe Biden to the SouthBeach resort to discuss “Card Check,” The networks didn’t even mention the event. The White House went so far as to bar coverage of the meeting.

All of this stands in stark contrast to the frenzy and hand wringing surrounding Northern Trust and their PGA tour affiliated events. The Republican Party has often been portrayed as friends of Wall Street and other “fat cats” while Democrats and labor unions are fighting for the neglected worker. Revealing a labor group’s hypocrisy is not in the liberal media’s interest.