Former retail labor union boss gets $544,000 for 10 months of work

Ever think maybe you're in the wrong line of work?

Former United Food and Commercial Workers executive vice president Bill McDonough was paid $544,137 last year despite leaving the union in October.

Working as the collective bargaining director at UFCW headquarters in Washington, D.C., McDonough received a gross salary of $378,606 plus $3,000 in "allowances," $88,851 for official business and $73,680 in other disbursements, based on the union's 2014 report to the U.S. Department of Labor.

UFCW classified 80 percent of McDonough's time as representational activity, which means his pay came both from member dues and mandatory "agency fees" UFCW takes from nonmembers in states without right-to-work laws.

Although McDonough was only employed by UFCW from Jan. 1 to Oct. 31, his gross salary was over $140,000 greater than in the previous two years. McDonough's salary was $235,207 in 2013 and $235,177 in 2012.

Why was McDonough's gross salary so much higher in 2014, and why did the union pay him a total of $544,137 for 10 months of work?

UFCW did not respond to a Watchdog inquiry about McDonough's compensation and other questionable 2014 expenditures reported to the Department of Labor.

"Progressive" nonprofits received over $300,000 in donations from UFCW member dues last year. UFCW gave union think tank Economic Policy Institute $48,000, union front group Interfaith Worker Justice $45,000 and union front Jobs With Justice $38,000.

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