I

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 928

To amend the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959

to ensure that employees have adequate access and information regarding

the use of employee dues and fees paid to labor organizations.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

MARCH 5, 1997

Mr. CHRISTENSEN (for himself, Mr. BASS, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. COBURN, Mr.

DICKEY, Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, Mr. NORWOOD, and Mr.

WHITFIELD) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce

A BILL

To amend the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure

Act of 1959 to ensure that employees have adequate

access and information regarding the use of employee

dues and fees paid to labor organizations.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Union Members Right

5 to Know Act of 1997’’.
2

•HR 928 IH

1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

2 Section 2 of the Labor-Management Reporting and

3 Disclosure Act of 1959 (29 U.S.C. 401(d)) is amended

4 by adding at the end the following:

5 ‘‘(d) PROTECTION OF RIGHT OF EMPLOYEE TO IN6 FORMATION REGARDING USE OF DUES.—The Congress

7 further finds that employees should have complete access

8 to information regarding expenditures by labor organiza9 tions to whom they pay dues or agency fees.’’.

10 SEC. 3. REPORT OF LABOR ORGANIZATIONS.

11 (a) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—Section 201(b) of

12 the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of

13 1959 (29 U.S.C. 431(b)) is amended—

14 (1) by striking the word ‘‘and’’ at the end of

15 paragraph (5)—

16 (2) by striking the period at the end of para17 graph (6) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and

18 (3) by adding at the end the following:

19 ‘‘(7) an itemization of the total amount spent

20 by the labor organization for—

21 ‘‘(A) contract negotiation and administra22 tion ;

23 ‘‘(B) organizing activities;

24 ‘‘(C) strike activities;

25 ‘‘(D) political activities (other than the ac26 tivities listed in subparagraph (E);
3

•HR 928 IH

1 ‘‘(E) activities attempting to influence the

2 passage or defeat of Federal, State, or local leg3 islation or the content or enforcement of Fed4 eral, State, or local regulations or policies;

5 ‘‘(F) voter education and issue advocacy

6 activities;

7 ‘‘(8) the percentage of the labor organization’s

8 total expenditures that were spent for each of the

9 activities described in subparagraphs (A) through

10 (F) of paragraph (7);

11 ‘‘(9) the names, addresses, and activities of any

12 of the lobbyists whose services are used by the labor

13 organization for any activity described in subpara14 graphs (D) through (F) of paragraph (7);

15 ‘‘(10) a list of political candidates, political or16 ganizations, charitable organizations, and commu17 nity organizations to which the labor organization

18 contributed financial or in-kind assistance and the

19 dollar amount of such assistance;

20 ‘‘(11) the name and address of any political ac21 tion committees with which the labor organization is

22 affiliated or provides contributions, the total amount

23 of contributions to such committees, the candidates
4

•HR 928 IH

1 or causes to which such committees provided any fi2 nancial assistance, and the amount provided to each

3 such candidate or cause.’’.

4 (b) METHODOLOGY.—Section 201(b) of the Labor5 Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (29

6 U.S.C. 431(b)) is amended by adding at the end (as

7 amended by subsection (a)) the following:

8 ‘‘The method used to calculate the percentages required

9 in paragraphs (7) through (11) shall be consistent from

10 year to year and an explanation shall be attached to the

11 report describing the method used.’’.

12 SEC. 4. INFORMATION TO EMPLOYEES.

13 Section 201(c) of the Labor-Management Reporting

14 and Disclosure Act of 1959 (29 U.S.C. 431(c)) is amend15 ed—

16 (1) by striking ‘‘make available information’’

17 and inserting ‘‘provide on an annual basis complete

18 copies of the reports’’;

19 (2) by striking ‘‘its members’’ and inserting

20 ‘‘the employees it represents’’;

21 (3) by striking ‘‘any member of such organiza22 tion’’ and inserting ‘‘any employee represented by

23 such organization’’; and
5

•HR 928 IH

1 (4) by striking ‘‘such member’’ and inserting

2 ‘‘such employee’’.

Æ