Since it became clear that union-organized stores had trouble competing with Wal-Mart’s efficiency, UFCW bosses have turned to a campaign focused on attacking the retailer’s reputation. And while UFCW’s membership shrank last year by several thousand members, their leaders’ attack on Wal-Mart keeps growing.

In its current financial disclosure provided to the Department of Labor, UFCW leaders revealed that they:

• Paid to $12,725 as a representational activity to RETAIL PROJECT LLC, which is the Robert Greenwald project that produced the anti-Wal-Mart movie “The High Cost of Low Price.”
• Gave $60,000 in contributions this past summer to Illinois ACORN, which loudly attacked Wal-Mart and pushed the economically moronic “Big Box Living Wage” in Chicago.
• Gave a $25,000 contribution to the ACORN front group called the “Wal-Mart Association for Reform Now.” (UFCW also paid another $70,618 to the “ACORN Community Labor Organizing” group as a “Consultant For Organizing Program.”)
• Robbed Peter (and everyone else) to pay anti-Wal-Mart campaign leader Paul Blank a sweet $135,000 in salary, with another $60,000+ in expense account disbursements. Nice gig if you can get it.
• Blank’s comrade Chris Kofinis drew another $80,000+ in payments and consulting fees for his anti-Wal-Mart work.

Maybe UFCW’s motto should be, “Always Wasting Members’ Money — Always.”