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SITE INDEX

ENHANCING UNION DEMOCRACY & ACCOUNTABILITY TO WORKERS

Protecting the Democratic Rights of Individual Union Members; Making Corporate Bosses & Labor Bosses Accountable to Rank-and-File Workers

H.R. 992, the Union Members’ Right-to-Know Act
H.R. 993, the Labor-Management Accountability Act
H.R. 994, the Union Member Information Enforcement Act
H.R. 4343, the Secret Ballot Protection Act

Sponsor:  Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX)

Sponsor:  Rep. Charlie Norwood (R-GA)

 

Education & the Workforce Committee Republicans are committed to giving rank-and-file union members better tools to hold union leaders accountable for their actions.  The 1959 Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) -- designed to serve as the first line of defense against union corruption -- requires union leaders to disclose certain information to union members about their democratic rights, including information about member union dues.

 

Last year, the Employer-Employee Relations Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Sam Johnson (R-TX), held several hearings, which revealed that many labor unions fail to fulfill their obligations under the LMRDA, undermining accountability and leaving rank-and-file union members in the dark about their rights under the law.  In addition, the Workforce Protections Subcommittee, led by Chairman Charlie Norwood (R-GA), also held hearings on this issue.  Norwood has also introduced legislation to protect the rights of workers decide on whether to form a union through a secret ballot free from threats of intimidation or harassment.

 

The Committee has also looked into the ULLICO scandal and its implications for U.S. workers.  Press accounts have detailed actions by the union-owned insurance company ULLICO and many of its board of directors who profited from questionable stock transactions at the expense of unions that invested in the company.  The lack of transparency and disclosure from ULLICO is clearly at odds with the public pronouncements of labor leaders on the corporate scandals at Enron, WorldCom, and the like.  In fact, many of the same union leaders who spoke out so publicly on corporate accountability were or are still ULLICO board members.

 

Federal labor law is intended to ensure that rank-and-file union members have a full, equal, and democratic voice in union affairs.  Armed with knowledge, union members will have better tools to elect leaders who work in their best interest -- and to hold accountable union officials who serve their own interests. 

Issue Summary: Enhancing Union Democracy

Committee Report on "Investigation of ULLICO Inc."

Press Statements:

• Witnesses Express Support for Legislation to Uphold the Integrity of Secret Ballot Elections, Protect Workers’ Rights - September 30, 2004

• House Republicans Praise Court Decision to Uphold New Reforms to Enhance Financial Disclosure and Transparency on Behalf of Union Workers - July 14, 2004

• Workforce Committee Leaders Introduce Bill to Safeguard Worker Rights and Protect the Integrity of Secret Ballot Elections - May 12, 2004

• Protecting the Integrity of Secret Ballot Elections Critical to Safeguarding Worker Rights, Witnesses Say - April 22, 2004

• Johnson, Norwood Praise Labor Department for Reforms to Protect Workers' Paychecks and Ensure Union Financial Accountability - March 29, 2004

• Johnson, Boehner Praise Court Decision Paving Way for New Reforms to Enhance Financial Disclosure and Transparency on Behalf of Union Workers - January 23, 2004

• Boehner, Johnson Statement on AFL-CIO Lawsuit Targeting the U.S. Department of Labor for Implementing New Reforms to Enhance Union Financial Transparency - December 1, 2003

• Committee Releases Final ULLICO Report; Calls on Labor Department to Fully Investigate Whether Sweetheart Stock Deals Violated Federal Labor and Pension Laws - October 28, 2003

• Johnson, Norwood Praise Labor Department for New Union Democracy Reforms to Enhance Union Leadership Accountability, Financial Transparency - October 3, 2003

• Subcommittee Passes Johnson Bills to Protect Union Member Rights, Hold Union Leaders Accountable - October 2, 2003

• Union Democracy Reforms Critical to Ensure Accountability and Transparency, Witnesses Say - June 24, 2003

• ULLICO Witnesses Evade Questions on Sweetheart Stock Deals - June 17, 2003

• Committee Subpoenas ULLICO Chairman & CEO Robert Georgine to Testify; Hearing Date Set for June 10th - May 8, 2003

• Committee Plans Hearings to Examine Questionable Stock Deals by ULLICO Leaders - April 24, 2003

• ULLICO Turns Over Special Counsel’s Report to Committee; Documents Under Review - April 3, 2003

• Boehner Requests Immediate Production of ‘Thompson’ Report from ULLICO - March 31, 2003

• Johnson, Norwood Praise Labor Department for New Union Democracy Reforms - March 27, 2003

• Johnson Introduces Three Bills to Promote Union Democracy, Hold Union Leaders Accountable - February 27, 2003

• Boehner Backs President's Proposals on Pension Security, Back to Work Accounts, Union Democracy - February 3, 2003

Fact Sheet:

• Rank-and-File Union Democracy Holds Union Leaders Accountable, Makes Unions Stronger - June 24, 2003

Dear Colleague Letters:

• Congress Must Take the Lead to Guarantee Workers’ Right to a Fair and Secret Ballot Election - July 15, 2004
• Sign Brief Urging NLRB to Limit “Card Check” Recognition that Undermines Secret Ballot Elections and Basic Worker Protections - July 9, 2004
• Protect Workers’ Rights to Secret Ballot Elections on Decisions to Unionize - May 6, 2004
• As Wall Street Journal Article Shows, Laws Protecting Union Workers Need to be Strengthened - October 10, 2003
• Update on Education & the Workforce Committee Investigation of ULLICO - May 22, 2003

Committee Hearings and Markups:

• On September 30, 2004, the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations held a hearing on "H.R. 4343, the Secret Ballot Protection Act" - Opening Statements and Witness Testimony
• On May 10, 2004, the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations held a hearing on "Examining Union 'Salting' Abuses and Organizing Tactics that Harm the U.S. Economy" in Round Rock, Texas - Opening Statements and Witness Testimony
• On April 22, 2004, the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations held a hearing on "Developments in Labor Law: Examining Trends and Tactics in Labor Organization Campaigns" - Opening Statements and Witness Testimony
• On October 2, 2003, the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations held a markup on H.R. 992, Union Members Right- to-Know Act, H.R. 993, Labor Management Accountability Act and H.R. 994, Union Member Information Enforcement Act.  The bills were ordered favorably reported to the Full Committee by a vote of 12-10.
  Opening Statement and Related Documents on H.R. 992
  Opening Statement and Related Documents on H.R. 993
  Opening Statement and Related Documents on H.R. 994
• On June 24, 2003, the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations held a legislative hearing on "Union Democracy Reforms to the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act: H.R. 992, H.R. 993 and H.R. 994" - Opening Statements and Witness Testimony
• On June 17, 2003, the Full Education & the Workforce Committee held a hearing on "The ULLICO Scandal and its Implications for U.S. Workers" - Opening Statements and Witness Testimony