AFT Statement on Barbara Bullock Plea Agreement

Washington, D.C. - Today's action in the federal court in the District of Columbia is an important step forward in bringing to justice the individuals responsible for the outrageous theft from, and betrayal of the hardworking teachers and other members of the Washington Teachers Union (WTU). 

When the AFT first uncovered this scandal last year and took the results of its investigation to the U.S. Attorney, we emphasized that those responsible should be punished and that the union recover any money stolen from its members. 

We are now in the process of restoring the trust of those members and rebuilding the union so that members will again be well served. That rebuilding and restoration of trust have been proceeding under the leadership of an AFT-appointed administrator.  To further aid in this restoration, the AFT also filed a lawsuit on behalf of the members of the WTU for restitution of the funds stolen.

Today's plea agreement should allow that lawsuit to proceed on a speedier path, permit the union to continue on the road to recovery, and help ensure that Washington's teachers can continue to focus on the education of children in their classroom, rather than on proceedings against criminals in the courtroom.

It is unfortunate that the Department of Labor has chosen to use this case as an excuse to justify its new regulations for labor unions.  While we stand firmly behind transparency and openness in all union activities, these regulations would not have revealed the wrongdoing at WTU, nor will they do much to prevent future wrongdoing.  Instead, these cumbersome new regulations will drown pertinent information in reams of paper and divert resources so that unions will be forced to spend time and money completing bureaucratic paperwork rather than serving their members.

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The AFT represents more than 1.3 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers, paraprofessionals and other school support employees, higher education faculty, nurses and other healthcare workers, and state and local government employees.