AFL-CIO Sues Labor Department Over New Union Financial Disclosure Rule

The AFL-CIO sued the U.S. Department of Labor last week over a new financial disclosure rule that requires unions to provide more detailed spending information to members. The federation of 65 unions representing 15 million workers said the rule blindsided large unions with sweeping changes. The suit seeks to block enforcement of the finalized regulation.

Connecticut state law has required public-sector unions to file annual financial reports with the labor commissioner since 1957. Unions must make the reports available to members and allow state audits upon request. Most unions never filed the reports and state officials did not enforce the requirement for years.

The labor commissioner previously stated she would not dedicate staff time to enforcement. Two public employees, a state corrections officer and a retired police officer who teaches at a community college, sued their unions to obtain spending records on political activities and paid leave.

After the lawsuits, the Connecticut Department of Labor sent unions a reminder notice and created an online filing portal. The department also directed unions to provide hard copies of reports and hold meetings to discuss them.

Florida enacted a law requiring public unions to maintain verifiable worker support. Idaho passed a measure barring school districts from deducting dues from paychecks or sharing teacher data without consent. Arizona is considering a constitutional amendment to end automatic payroll deductions for teachers.

Oklahoma advanced legislation allowing teachers to resign union membership at any time. The article states that rights requiring voluntary compliance or selective enforcement provide limited protection to union members.