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COMPLAINTS FILED

Since the act authorizes the Secretary of Labor to make investigations of violations of Title II through Title VI (except for section 505), complaints involving noncompliance with those provisions should be brought to the attention of the U.S. Department of Labor. Complaints of violations of the Title I rights, except for the right to obtain copies of collective bargaining agreements, must be enforced by civil suits brought by the affected union members themselves. Complaints of violations of Title VII, which contains amendments to the National Labor Relations Act, should be made to the National Labor Relations Board. Complaints of violation of section 505 should be made to the local U.S. attorney.

COVERAGE

The first six titles of this act generally have broader coverage than the National Labor Relations Act. All labor organizations engaged in an industry affecting commerce (except those comprised solely of employees of Federal, State, and local governments or their subdivisions) are subject to these titles without regard to size. This includes conferences, committees, boards, or councils subordinate to national or international unions, and both railroad and airline unions. Unlike the National Labor Relations Act, the definition of "employee" includes railroad workers, certain agricultural workers, supervisors, and specifically, persons whose work has ceased because of a current labor dispute, of any unfair labor practice, or of exclusion or expulsion from a labor organization in any manner or for any reason inconsistent with the requirements of the act. Similarly, employers subject to the Railway Labor Act, and therefore not covered by the National Labor Relations Act, are subject to the pertinent provisions of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959. Certain provisions of the act apply to labor relations consultants and others who receive compensation for advising or representing an employer or union in relation to organizing, bargaining, or other concerted activities.

UNION MEMBER RIGHTS (TITLE I)

Title I of the law establishes for union members a Federal "Bill of Rights," which includes the following:

1. Equal rights to attend, participate in, and vote at meetings and elections, subject to reasonable union rules;

2. Freedom to meet and assemble with other members, to express any arguments or opinions, and to voice views upon candidates and business properly before a meeting. This freedom is subject to reasonable union rules pertaining to the conduct of union meetings and does not impair the right of a labor organization to assure responsible conduct of its members and responsible discharge of the organization's legal and contractual obligations;

3. Protection from increases in union dues or the imposition of assessments except where specified procedures are followed: i.e., in local unions by secret ballot of the membership either at a membership meeting or by means of a referendum; in national unions and intermediate bodies by majority vote of delegates at a conven

tion, by secret ballot by members in a referendum, or, where authorized, by vote of the executive board or similar governing body;

4. Protection of the right to testify, to communicate with legislators, and to bring suit after using reasonable organizational remedies, for appropriate relief when unions infringe the rights of members;

5. The right to notice and a fair hearing before any disciplinary actions, except discipline for nonpayment of dues.

6. The right to obtain or inspect copies of collective bargaining agreements (this right extends to all employees affected by the agreement) and to be informed by the unions of the rights granted by this law. The right to obtain bargaining agreements is enforced by the Secretary of Labor as well as by the individual whose rights have been infringed; and

Existing rights under Federal and State laws are preserved for union members. Any person whose rights secured by Title I have been violated may bring an action for appropriate relief (including injunctions) in a U.S. district court.

Union reports

REPORTING REQUIREMENT (TITLE II)

Title II requires each labor organization to adopt a constitution and bylaws, and to file a copy of these documents with the Secretary of Labor along with an organizational report. The labor organization must also submit annually to the Secretary a report covering its preceding fiscal year.

The law requires the inclusion of the following information in the initial organization report (Form LM-1, the "Labor Organization Information Report"):

1. Name of the organization, its mail address and any other address at which the organization maintains its principal office or keeps its records.

2. List of officers showing their names and their titles.

3. Initiation fees required, as well as fees charged to transferred members, and fees for work permits required by the organization. 4. Regular dues or other periodic payments required of members.

5. These specific details on the procedures of the organization and provisions made in its constitution and bylaws:

(a) What the qualifications and restrictions for membership are.

(b) How assessments are levied.

(c) What the provisions and procedures are for participation in insurance and other benefit plans.

(d) How the disbursement of union funds is authorized. (e) What provisions and procedures the organization has for the audit of financial transactions.

(f) How regular and special meetings are called. (g) How officers, stewards, executive board members, and any delegates to other bodies composed of labor organization representatives are selected.

(h) What method is used to discipline or remove officers or agents for breach of trust.

(i) How fines, and suspension or expulsion of members, are handled, including the grounds for such actions, and what the provisions and procedures are for hearings and appeals in such cases.

(j) How bargaining demands are authorized.

(k) How contract terms are ratified.

(1) How strikes are authorized.

(m) What the provisions and procedures are for issuing work permits.

Any change in this information as supplied in the initial labor organization information report must be submitted to the Secretary of Labor with the next annual report (Forms LM-2 or LM-3, the “Labor Organization Annual Report").

The annual report is due within 90 days after the end of the organization's fiscal year and must include this information about the reporting labor organization and its financial affairs during the previous fiscal year:

1. Assets and liabilities at the beginning and end of the fiscal year.

2. Listing of receipts of any kind and where they came from. 3. Salaries, allowances, and other direct or indirect payments (including reimbursed expenses) to each officer, irrespective of amounts, and also to each employee who received more than $10,000 in the aggregate during the year from the reporting organization and any other affiliated labor organization.

4. Listing of all loans (direct or indirect) made to any officer, employee, or member which aggregated more than $250 during the year to any one person. A statement must be included giving the purpose of each loan, the security furnished, if any, and what arrangements were made for repaying the loan.

5. Listing of all direct or indirect loans made to any business enterprise. A statement must be included giving the purpose of each loan, the security furnished, if any, and what arrangements were made for repayment.

6. Any other disbursements and the purposes for which they

were made.

The above information is to be shown in the categories prescribed by the Secretary of Labor.

The Form LM-3 is a simplified version of the more detailed Form LM-2 and may be used by labor organizations having gross annual receipts totalling less than $30,000.

REPORTS OF UNION OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES

Every officer and employee (other than an employee performing exclusively clerical or custodial services) of a labor organization must file a signed report (Form LM-30, the "Labor Officer and Employee Report") with the Secretary of Labor listing the following "conflict of interest" transactions involving himself, his spouse or minor child:

1. Direct or indirect holdings of securities or other interests in a business whose employees his labor organization represents or actively seeks to represent and any income or other monetary benefit received from such business;

2. Transactions involving securities, loans to or from, or other interests in a business whose employees his labor organization represents or actively seeks to represent;

3. Any interest in or income from a business which deals substantially with an employer whose employees his labor organization represents or actively seeks to represent;

4. Any interest in or income from a business which has any commercial dealings with his labor organization or a trust in which his labor organization is interested;

5. Any business transaction or arrangement with an employer whose employees his organization represents or actively seeks to represent, except work performed and payments and benefits received as a bona fide employee and sales and services in the regular course of business at prices available to any of the employer's employees; and

6. Any payment from an employer or an employer's labor relations consultant except payments permitted by section 302 of the Labor Management Relations Act, 1947, as amended.

Paragraphs (1) through (5) above do not require any employee to disclose bona fide investments in securities traded on a securities exchange registered as a national securities exchange under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or in shares in an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, or in securities or a public utility holding company registered under the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935, or to report any income derived therefrom.

An officer or employee is not required to file a "conflict of interest" report unless he or his spouse or minor child has engaged in a transaction described.

REPORT OF EMPLOYERS AND LABOR CONSULTANTS AND OTHER PERSONS

Every employer must file with the Secretary of Labor a report (Form LM-10, the "Employer Report") within 90 days after the end of the employer's fiscal year under the following circumstances:

1. If he makes payments or loans of money, or other thing of value, including reimbursed expenses, or any promise or agreement for such payments or loans to any labor organization, union officer, agent, shop steward, or other union representative or employee. (Payments permitted under section 302 (c) of the Labor Management Relations Act are excepted, as are payments or loans made by any national or State bank, credit union, insurance company, savings and loan association, or other credit institution.)

2. If he pays any of his employees, or any group or committee of his employees, to get them to persuade other employees to exercise or not to exercise, or how they shall exercise, the right to organize and bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, unless the payment was disclosed to the other employees before or at the same time as it was made.

3. If the object of any employer expenditure is to interfere with, restrain, or coerce any employees in the exercise of their right to organize and bargain collectively through representatives of

their own choosing; or is to obtain information about the activities of employees or of a labor organization concerning a labor dispute in which he is involved, except when the information is to be used only for an administrative or arbitration proceeding or a criminal or civil judicial proceeding.

4. If he makes an agreement or arrangement with a labor relations consultant or other independent contractor or organization covering activities where an object is to persuade employees to exercise or not to exercise, or how they shall exercise, the right to organize and bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing; or whereby such labor relations consultant or similar person or organization undertakes to supply information about the activities of employees or of a labor organization in connection with a labor dispute involving the employer, except when the information is to be used only for an administrative or arbitration proceeding or a criminal or civil judicial proceeding.

5. If he makes any payment pursuant to any such agreements or arrangements.

Reports filed by employers must include:

1. A detailed statement of each covered payment, loan, promise, agreement or arrangement, showing its date and amount, and the name, address, and position, if any, in any firm or labor organization, of the person to whom it was made.

2. A full explanation of the circumstances of all such payments, and the terms of any agreement or understanding under which they were made.

Employers do not need to file reports concerning compensation paid to their regular officers, supervisors, or employees for their services as regular officers, supervisors, or employees. Also, employers are not required to file reports on the services of any person if such person only engaged or agreed to engage in the following activities: giving advice to the employer; representing the employer before a court, administrative agency, or arbitration tribunal; and engaging in collective bargaining on behalf of the employer with respect to wages, hours, or other conditions of employment.

Signed reports must also be filed with the Secretary of Labor by every person who agrees or arranges with an employer to undertake activities which have as an object, directly or indirectly:

1. To persuade employees to exercise, or not to exercise, or as to how they should exercise, the right to organize and bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing.

2. To supply an employer with information on the activities of employees or a labor organization in connection with a labor dispute involving the employer, except information for use solely in conjunction with an administrative or arbitral proceeding or a criminal or civil judicial proceeding.

Form LM-20, the "Agreements and Activities Report," must be filed within 30 days after entering into the agreement or arrangement, and Form LM-21, the "Receipts and Disbursements Report," must be filed within 90 days after the end of the person's fiscal year. The latter must report all receipts with their source, and all dis

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