The landscape for workers in America has changed dramatically since the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, challenging the very nature of organized labor. They do play a role in some communities to strengthen workers’ aggregate power when negotiating wages, salary increases and benefits, but in today’s advanced workforce, fewer workers feel a need for a union to represent them.
Private vs. Public Unions
Across the country, most public employees do not have the same rights as private-sector employees to review their union’s finances. And when they do, the information can be so sparse that members still struggle to see how their unions are spending their money and evaluate the financial health of their organization. Government union members deserve access to high-quality information about their unions, just as private-sector union members have.
Rulemaking proposed over the last year could increase union transparency, making unions and their affiliates more accountable for their use of funds provided by employers and intended to be used for employees’ benefit.
On October 13, the Federal Register published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that, if enacted, would require unions to provide more details on the financial information they already report publicly. Enactment of this rule would increase the amount of information union members have about their own organizations, particularly how much is being spent on politics and union leadership expenditures. By providing more information to union members and the public, this rule would help prevent corruption within unions and ensure union officers better serve the workers they represent.
Something to Consider: How to Take Action
The Department of Labor is seeking comments on the proposed rule.
Comments must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Monday, December 14, 2020, in order to be considered. Once your comment is submitted, it will be available for public review.
Need some tips on writing a formal comment? Start here.
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