Rep.Francis Rooney(R-Fla.) recently introduced a bill to bring much-needed transparency to front groups acting on behalf of the labor unions that support them.The Accountability for Represented Workers Act (H.R. 5665) would close the so-called “worker center” loophole that organized labor increasingly has used in recent years to avoid the democratic practices and financial transparency required by law. Closing that loophole would ensure that unions and their allied groups cannot skirt those requirements.
The need for transparency in the labor movement became evident in the 1950s, when theMcClellan Committeerevealed corruption, fraud, and other inappropriate behavior by leaders of labor organizations at the expense of their membership. As a result, Congress passed theLabor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, or LMRDA, which created strong protections for workers in labor unions. The Department of Labor was given the responsibility to enforce the LMRDA... Read more...
