Why I hate Unions - BLET spends millions on resorts while members "can't afford bills"

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Five unions involved in the Long Island Rail Road strike earlier this week reported more than $3.2 million in 2025 spending on hotels, resorts, restaurants and event venues, according to Labor Department disclosures.

The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and Transportation Communications Union collectively spent upwards of $3.2 million on premium accommodations in 2025.

The disclosures offer a window into how the unions spent money on travel, conferences and event venues during the same year they argued workers were being squeezed by rising costs. The strike disrupted hundreds of thousands of daily riders and cost the region an estimated $61 million per day.While negotiating with the MTA on the grounds that their workers were being underpaid, the unions reported large payments to hotels, resorts, casinos and restaurants.

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BLET and IAM collectively spent about half a million dollars at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 2025, according to disclosures. The spending covered lodging and event expenses. TCU, meanwhile, spent $856,403 at Caesar’s Hotel in Reno, Nevada

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The IAM, for instance, spent $6,806 at the Strip House, where the cheapest steak on the menu, an 8-ounce filet, costs $67 and the most expensive, a porterhouse, runs $155.

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The TCU, meanwhile, spent over $20,000 at Peter Luger Steak House, where steaks range in price from $90 to $320

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BLET spent $107,375 at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort, the IBEW paid about $130,000 to TradeWinds Island Resort in Florida, plus an additional $130,000 for expenses at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, a popular vacation destination.

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