On May 28, the Chairwoman of the U.S. House of Representatives Education and the Workforce Committee, Virginia Foxx, introduced H.R. 8573, the Union Members Right to Know Act, a bill to strengthen union members’ rights.
According to a press release from the Committee, the legislation aims to address concerns raised during its investigation into the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA) - UAW Local 2325’s passage of a contentious resolution despite some members’ objections.
The resolution in question ultimately prompted four of Local 2325’s members to file a lawsuit and obtain a temporary restraining order preventing the vote from taking place. Throughout the Committee’s investigation, union members confided that they were unaware of their rights and noted the union’s failure to share information.
H.R. 8573 would amend the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA), which contains a “bill of rights” for members of labor unions. The bill would require labor unions to inform union members of their free speech rights; their right to seek a reasonable accommodation not to pay dues or fees to the union based on religious beliefs or practices; and their right to object to paying union dues related to nonrepresentational activity.
The bill further specifies that labor unions would be required to provide summaries of these laws and rights to each new member within 30 days of joining the union and every year to all members. It also would require labor unions to post a link to information about members’ rights on the union’s website. Labor unions would have 180 days from enactment of H.R. 8573 to certify their compliance with the law’s requirements to the Secretary of Labor.
Given the current administration’s explicitly pro-union stance, one might not be surprised if H.R. 8573 doesn’t make it into law right away, but it highlights the need for such protections for union members. Depending on how things shape up after November’s election, the opportunity may come to put them in place.
About the authors
Sean P. Redmond
Sean P. Redmond is Vice President, Labor Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
