# Union Transparency and Accountability Act

This bill requires labor unions to file detailed financial reports with the federal government and creates penalties for unions that fail to do so or refuse to share information with their members.

Currently, unions are supposed to file financial disclosure forms showing how they spend money, but the bill argues these requirements have been weakened over time. The legislation essentially locks in stricter reporting standards by requiring unions to use specific financial report forms from earlier years—forms that reportedly contained more detailed information than what's currently required. Unions would need to file annual reports showing their income, expenses, officer salaries, and how they use member dues. Additionally, unions must report information about any trust funds they manage, and union officers and employees must file personal financial disclosure forms.

The bill creates financial penalties for unions that don't comply. If a union fails to file required reports or refuses to give members access to financial information, the Department of Labor can fine the union up to $250 per day for the violation, with a maximum penalty of $45,000 (adjusted annually for inflation). Union members who are denied access to financial records can also sue their union for up to $250 per day. Before imposing fines, the Labor Department must give unions written notice and 30 days to fix the problem. The bill also protects union employees who report violations—unions cannot fire or punish workers who file complaints or testify about financial violations.

The practical effect is that unions would face stronger enforcement of financial transparency rules, with real financial consequences for non-compliance. Union members would have clearer legal rights to access their union's financial information, and union employees would have legal protection if they blow the whistle on financial misconduct.

Union Transparency and Accountability Act

Steel, Michelle

Union Transparency and Accountability Act This bill requires labor organizations to file certain disclosure forms detailing expenditures of union dues, imposes civil fines on labor organizations that fail to file required disclosures, and makes it unlawful for any labor organization to discharge or discriminate against any employee who has filed a whistle-blower complaint or who is testifying in a disclosure proceeding.