Backgrounder
Union Members Right to Know Act
Union Members Right to Know Act
S. 5213
Sponsored by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
The “Union Members Right to Know Act” seeks to amend the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA) to enhance transparency and accountability within labor organizations, ensuring that union members’ rights are well-known and strengthened.
Sen. Cassidy’s legislation provides workers with a “right not to subsidize labor organization nonrepresentational activities”. This would protect union members by prohibiting the use of their dues or fees for activities unrelated to collective bargaining or contract administration without their explicit, annual written authorization. This provision ensures that union members have control over how their contributions are used and promotes greater financial accountability within labor organizations.
At a time when major unions are blatantly disregarding the opinions and interests of their members, I applaud Senator Cassidy for introducing legislation that will ensure workers know their union rights and enhance them. – F. Vincent Vernuccio, President, Institute for the American Worker
The bill would also require labor organizations to inform their members of their “Beck Rights”, as derived from the 1988 Supreme Court decision in Communications Workers of America v. Beck, and rights under the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In non-Right to Work states, Beck Rights allow union members to opt out of paying for union activities that are not directly related to collective bargaining, contract administration, or grievance adjustment. Workers cannot be forced to pay dues or fees beyond those necessary for the union’s core representational duties. Section VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 exempts union members from paying union dues or fees to the labor organization if it violates an individual’s religious beliefs or practices.
In a statement announcing the legislation, Sen. Cassidy said, ““The purpose of a union is to represent their members, not force them to fund extreme political agendas against their will. Union members pay unions to represent them before management. This legislation keeps unions focused on that.”
Additional Resources
Illinois Policy: Beck Rights and Abstention: The Ways Around a Toxic Union
Center for Union Facts: Understanding Beck Rights
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