Opinion ID: 451885
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Purpose of Title IV of the Act

Text: 13 Section 401(e) of the Act mandates that in union elections subject to the LMRDA:a reasonable opportunity shall be given for the nomination of candidates and every member in good standing shall be eligible to be a candidate and to hold office (subject ... to reasonable qualifications uniformly imposed ) and shall have the right to vote for or otherwise support the candidate or candidates of his choice.... 14 29 U.S.C. Sec. 481(e) (emphasis added). The determination of whether a particular qualification is reasonable and capable of uniform application under Section 401(e) must be made in light of the purpose of Title IV of the Act. Local 3489, United Steelworkers v. Usery, 429 U.S. 305, 309, 97 S.Ct. 611, 614, 50 L.Ed.2d 502 (1977). The Act's principal aim is to promote democracy in union governance, and the thrust of Title IV is that members be allowed to exercise their own judgment in selecting candidates for office. Wirtz v. Hotel, Motel & Club Employees Union, Local 6, 391 U.S. 492, 504, 88 S.Ct. 1743, 1750, 20 L.Ed.2d 763 (1968). Thus, any method of selecting candidates which unduly interferes with members' free choice is unreasonable. 15 Inherent in any organization are factors that impede the exercise of free choice and contribute to the ability of those in power to maintain control. See Summers, Democracy in a One-Party State: Perspectives from Landrum-Griffin, 43 Md.L.Rev. 93, 96-99 (1984). Unlike candidates in a two-party system, those challenging incumbent union leaders are often viewed as disloyal to the union. In addition, control over the union's bureaucracy enjoyed by union leaders gives them an opportunity to perpetuate themselves through the dispensation of patronage. Moreover, power over the channels of communication, while subject to restrictions, is another means of maintaining power. The tight grasp of incumbent leaders should be recognized when a court interprets LMRDA union election requirements so that opposition voices can be heard and their weight felt. Summers, supra, at 99. 16