The Department of Labor’s Office of Labor Management Standards (OLMS) recently closed the comment period on a proposed rule that would reduce financial disclosure requirements for union officials. According to data from the National Right to Work Foundation, more than 97% of the 299 public comments submitted opposed the proposed change.
The National Right to Work Foundation filed detailed comments urging OLMS to reject the rule. The organization stated: “These sentiments were echoed by hundreds of Americans, including rank-and-file workers, who are furious with the OLMS for proposing to deprive millions of workers of vital information on how union officials spend their dues payments, especially spending on union political and ideological activities. As over 225 of the comments point out, this change would allow over 850 unions, spending over $200 million annually, to hide their activities from detailed financial disclosure accessible to workers and the public.”
Several individuals used their public comments to describe personal experiences involving alleged union misconduct and called for greater accountability in how unions use dues money. For example: