Union Member Rights and Officer 

Responsibilities Under the LMRDA 

The Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure 

Act (LMRDA) guarantees certain rights to union 

members and imposes certain responsibilities on 

union officers. The Office of Labor-Management 

Standards (OLMS) enforces many LMRDA 

provisions while other provisions, such as the bill 

of rights, may only be enforced by union members 

through private suit in federal court. For more 

information contact the nearest OLMS field office 

listed on page 2 of this fact sheet. 

Union Member Rights 

Bill of Rights - Union members have 

• equal rights to participate in union activities 

• freedom of speech and assembly 

• voice in setting rates of dues, fees, and 

assessments 

• protection of the right to sue 

• safeguards against improper discipline 

Copies of Collective Bargaining Agreements - Union 

members and nonunion employees have the right 

to receive or inspect copies of collective 

bargaining agreements. 

• Reports - Unions are required to file an initial 

information report (Form LM-1), copies of 

constitutions and bylaws, and an annual financial 

report (Form LM-2/3/4) with OLMS. Unions 

must make the reports available to members and 

permit members to examine supporting records 

for just cause. The reports are public information 

and copies are available from the OLMS Internet 

Public Disclosure Room at 

www.unionreports.dol.gov.

Officer Elections - Union members have the right to 

• nominate candidates for office 

• run for office 

• cast a secret ballot 

• protest the conduct of an election 

Officer Removal - Local union members have the 

right to an adequate procedure for the removal of 

an elected officer guilty of serious misconduct. 

Trusteeships - Unions may only be placed in 

trusteeship by a parent body for the reasons 

specified in the LMRDA. 

Prohibition Against Certain Discipline - A union or 

any of its officials may not fine, expel, or 

otherwise discipline a member for exercising any 

LMRDA right. 

Prohibition Against Violence - No one may use or 

threaten to use force or violence to interfere with a 

union member in the exercise of LMRDA rights. 

Union Officer Responsibilities 

Financial Safeguards - Union officers have a duty 

to manage the funds and property of the union 

solely for the benefit of the union and its members 

in accordance with the union's constitution and 

bylaws. Union officers or employees who 

embezzle or steal union funds or other assets 

commit a Federal crime punishable by a fine 

and/or imprisonment. 

Bonding - Union officers or employees who handle 

union funds or property must be bonded 

to provide protection against losses if their union 

has property and annual financial receipts which 

exceed $5,000. 

U.S. Department of Labor Office of Labor-Management Standards
2

Labor Organization Reports - Union officers must 

• file an initial information report (Form LM-1) 

and annual financial reports (Forms LM-2/3/4) 

with OLMS 

• retain the records necessary to verify the reports 

for at least five years 

Officer Reports - Union officers and employees 

must file reports concerning any loans and benefits 

received from, or certain financial interests in, 

employers whose employees their unions represent 

and businesses that deal with their unions. 

Officer Elections - Unions must 

• hold elections of officers of local unions by 

secret ballot at least every three years 

• conduct regular elections in accordance with 

their constitution and bylaws and preserve all 

records for one year 

• mail a notice of election to every member at least 

15 days prior to the election 

• comply with a candidate's request to distribute 

campaign material 

• not use union funds or resources to promote any 

candidate (nor may employer funds or resources 

be used) 

• permit candidates to have election observers 

• allow candidates to inspect the union's 

membership list once within 30 days prior to the 

election 

Restrictions on Holding Office - A person convicted 

of certain crimes may not serve as a union officer, 

employee, or other representative of a union for up 

to 13 years. 

Loans - A union may not have outstanding loans to 

any one officer or employee that in total exceed 

$2,000 at any time. 

Fines - A union may not pay the fine of any officer 

or employee convicted of any willful violation of 

the LMRDA. 

Additional Information 

Additional information is available on the OLMS Web site at www.olms.dol.gov by sending a message to 

olms-public@dol.gov, by calling the DOL Help Line at 1-866-487-2365, or by contacting an OLMS 

district office. 

Atlanta, GA Dallas, TX Kansas City, MO New Orleans, LA San Francisco, CA 

Birmingham, AL Denver, CO Los Angeles, CA New York, NY Seattle, WA 

Boston, MA Detroit, MI Miami, FL Newark, NJ Tampa, FL 

Buffalo, NY Grand Rapids, MI Milwaukee, WI Philadelphia, PA Washington, DC 

Chicago, IL Guaynabo, PR Minneapolis, MN Phoenix, AZ 

Cincinnati, OH Honolulu, HI Nashville, TN Pittsburgh, PA 

Cleveland, OH Houston, TX New Haven, CT St. Louis, MO 

For the address and telephone number of our field offices, please consult local telephone directory listings under United States 

Government, Labor Department, Office of Labor-Management Standards, or view our online organizational listing at 

http://www.dol.gov/olms/contacts/lmskeyp.htm.

U.S. Department of Labor

Office of Labor-Management Standards 

February 2010