Authorities have called for an investigation of the 160,000 member United Long-Term Care Workers? union of California, for hundreds of thousands of dollars paid to companies owned by the local leader?s wife and mother-in-law. Last year, the union paid some 400,000 dollars to companies owned by relatives of president Tyrone Freeman, as well as over 600,000 to such places as a golf tournament, a cigar club, restaurants, a now-defunct minor league baseball team, a firm that quite possibly doesn?t exist, and a Hollywood talent agency, many of which employ former union members. Freeman, a ?rising star? among labor leaders, denies any wrongdoing, saying his members have benefited from the high quality of his relatives? video and childcare services. SEIU headquarters is sending a team to look over the local?s records.
See "Investigation of spending by care-workers? union is sought", Paul Pringle, Los Angeles Times, August 12, 2008