Last week, the Detroit Free Press reported that a jury has found that a UAW local must pay a Chrysler worker $300,000 for not being protected by union officials from sexual harassment at the workplace.

Chrysler employee Mee Sanders was harassed by Richard Lott, a union steward, when he "requested sexual favors in exchange for influencing her job placement." A distraught Sanders requested help from union brass on numerous occasions. However, the union officials were uninterested in helping her and "in one case, an official urged her to do what Lott wanted." The union hierarchy's outright negligence and greenlighting of such behavior resulted in a hostile work environment for Sanders.

During the trial, adding insult to injury, the union's lawyer told Sanders at the end of cross examination that she will be laid off as part of Chrysler's downsizing [induced by forced unionism induced financial problems], stating "By the way, you know you're not going to make the cut, and you're going to lose your job."

Unfortunately, serious workplace abuses like this will continue as long as union officials can use their compulsory unionism special privileges to shield themselves from accountability to the employees whose interests they supposedly represent.