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 Com-
mittee 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.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Union Members Right
to Know Act of 1997’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Section 2 of the Labor-Management Reporting and
Disclosure Act of 1959 (29 U.S.C. 401(d)) is amended
by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(d) PROTECTION OF RIGHT OF EMPLOYEE TO IN-
FORMATION REGARDING USE OF DUES.—The Congress
further finds that employees should have complete access
to information regarding expenditures by labor organiza-
tions to whom they pay dues or agency fees.’’.
SEC. 3. REPORT OF LABOR ORGANIZATIONS.
(a) REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.—Section 201(b) of
the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of
1959 (29 U.S.C. 431(b)) is amended—
(1) by striking the word ‘‘and’’ at the end of
paragraph (5)—
(2) by striking the period at the end of para-
graph (6) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
‘‘(7) an itemization of the total amount spent
by the labor organization for—
‘‘(A) contract negotiation and administra-
tion ;
‘‘(B) organizing activities;
‘‘(C) strike activities;
‘‘(D) political activities (other than the ac-
tivities listed in subparagraph (E);
‘‘(E) activities attempting to influence the
passage or defeat of Federal, State, or local leg-
islation or the content or enforcement of Fed-
eral, State, or local regulations or policies;
‘‘(F) voter education and issue advocacy
activities;
‘‘(8) the percentage of the labor organization’s
total expenditures that were spent for each of the
activities described in subparagraphs (A) through
(F) of paragraph (7);
‘‘(9) the names, addresses, and activities of any
of the lobbyists whose services are used by the labor
organization for any activity described in subpara-
graphs (D) through (F) of paragraph (7);
‘‘(10) a list of political candidates, political or-
ganizations, charitable organizations, and commu-
nity organizations to which the labor organization
contributed financial or in-kind assistance and the
dollar amount of such assistance;
‘‘(11) the name and address of any political ac-
tion committees with which the labor organization is
affiliated or provides contributions, the total amount
of contributions to such committees, the candidates
or causes to which such committees provided any fi-
nancial assistance, and the amount provided to each
such candidate or cause.’’.
(b) METHODOLOGY.—Section 201(b) of the Labor-
Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (29
U.S.C. 431(b)) is amended by adding at the end (as
amended by subsection (a)) the following:
‘‘The method used to calculate the percentages required
in paragraphs (7) through (11) shall be consistent from
year to year and an explanation shall be attached to the
report describing the method used.’’.
SEC. 4. INFORMATION TO EMPLOYEES.
Section 201(c) of the Labor-Management Reporting
and Disclosure Act of 1959 (29 U.S.C. 431(c)) is amend-
ed—
(1) by striking ‘‘make available information’’
and inserting ‘‘provide on an annual basis complete
copies of the reports’’;
(2) by striking ‘‘its members’’ and inserting
‘‘the employees it represents’’;
(3) by striking ‘‘any member of such organiza-
tion’’ and inserting ‘‘any employee represented by
such organization’’; and
(4) by striking ‘‘such member’’ and inserting
‘‘such employee’’.
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