Federal Bill of Rights and Election Labor
Management Reporting and Disclosure Act
TitleI–BillofRights
officersbysecret-ballotvoteofthe delayordefaultinthepaymentofdues.
ofUnionMembers
membersorbydelegateschosenbysecret • Unionsmustconductregular
ballot. electionsofofficersinaccordancewith
• Unionmembershaveequalrightsto
• Internationalunionsmusthold theirconstitutionandbylawsand
nominatecandidatesforunionoffice,vote
electionsatleasteveryfiveyears, preserveallelectionrecordsforoneyear.
inunionelections,andparticipatein
intermediatebodieseveryfouryears,and • Unionandemployerfundsmaynot
unionmeetings.Theymayalsomeetwith
localunionseverythreeyears. beusedtopromotethecandidacyofany
othermembersandexpressanyopinions.
• Unionsmustcomplywitha candidate.Unionfundsmaybeutilized
• Unionsmayimposeassessments
candidate’srequesttodistribute forexpensesnecessaryfortheconductof
andraiseduesonlybydemocratic
campaignmaterialtomembersatthe anelection.
procedures.
candidate’sownexpenseandmustalso • Unionmembersmayholdasecret-
• Unionsmustaffordmembersafull
refrainfromdiscriminatingagainstany ballotvotetoremovefromofficean
andfairhearingofchargesagainstthem.
candidatewithrespecttotheuseof electedlocalunionofficialguiltyof
• Unionsmustinformtheirmembers
membershiplists.Candidateshavethe seriousmisconductifthesecretaryof
abouttheprovisionsoftheLabor
righttoinspectalistcontainingthe laborfindstheunionconstitutionand
ManagementReportingandDisclosure
namesandaddressesofmemberssubject bylawsdonotprovideadequate
Act(LMRDA).
toaunionsecurityagreementwithin30 proceduresforsucharemoval.
• MembersmayenforceTitleIrights
dayspriortotheelection. • Unionmemberswhohaveexhausted
throughaprivatesuitagainsttheunion,
• Amemberingoodstandinghasthe internalunionelectionremediesorwho
butmayberequiredtoexhaustinternal
righttonominatecandidates,tobea haveinvokedsuchremedieswithout
unionremediesforuptofourmonths
candidatesubjecttoreasonable obtainingafinaldecisionwithinthree
beforefilingsuit.
qualificationsuniformlyimposed,tohold calendarmonthsaftertheirinvocation
• Unionmembersandnonunion
office,andtosupportandvoteforthe mayfileacomplaintwiththesecretary
employeesmayreceiveandinspect
candidatesofthemember’schoice. withinonecalendarmonththereafter.
collective-bargainingagreements.This
• Unionsmustmailanoticeof • Thesecretaryoflaborhasauthority
rightmaybeenforcedbytheindividualor
electiontoeverymemberatthemember’s tofilesuitinafederaldistrictcourttoset
bytheU.S.secretaryoflabor.
last-knownhomeaddressatleast15days asideaninvalidelectionandtorequest
TitleIV–Elections
priortotheelection. thecourttoorderanewelectionunder
• Amemberwhosedueshavebeen thesupervisionofthesecretaryandin
• Localunionsmustelecttheirofficers withheldbyanemployermaynotbe accordancewithTitleIV.
bysecretballot;internationalunionand declaredineligibletovoteortobea
intermediatebodiesmustelecttheir candidateforofficebyreasonofalleged
Members at DOCS win lawsuit
ByDEBORAHA.MILES lackofhearingofficersandthefrequency pushedthroughvarious
PEFmembersemployedatthestate ofthehearings. appeals,andfinallythe
DepartmentofCorrectionalServices “Yearsago,therewouldbeahearing lawsuit.We’vebeenwaiting
(DOCS)recentlywonalawsuitfiledbyPEF onceinawhile.Nowit’sdailywork,” forthisforalong,longtime.”
forout-of-titlework. Donahuesaid.“DOCShasonlyahandful AsaresultofPEF’svictory,
Thelawsuitchallengedassignmentsfor ofhearingofficersinthestate.” themembersinvolvedinthelawsuitwill
memberstopresideashearingofficers PEFAssociateCounselEdAlucksaid receivebackpayatthelevelofahearing
overinmatedisciplinaryhearings. theunionunsuccessfullyfiledgrievances officer,grade25,forthedaystheywere
AccordingtoTomDonahue,PEF’s severalyearsagochallengingthe requiredtopresideoverinmate
statewidelabor-managementchairat assignmentsandseekingbackpayon disciplinaryhearings.
DOCS,theassignmentshavebeengoing behalfofthemembers. ButtheissueofhavingPEFmembersin
onforyears.Themembersinvolvedinthe “Inthegrievancedecisions,thestate lowertitlesbeassignedtodisciplinary
lawsuitareclassifiedaseducation acknowledgedthemembersperformed hearingsisstillongoing.
supervisor,grade19andplant out-of-titlework,butdeniedtheywere AlucksaidtheDepartmentofCivil
superintendent,grade21. owedanybackpay.So,PEFfiledalawsuit Servicehasrevisedthejobduty
“Intheprisonsystem,officersconduct onthemembers’behalfinstateSupreme descriptions,orclassificationstandards,
hearingsforinmateswhoreceivetickets. Court.”Alucksaid.“In2007,thecourt forsomeofthePEFtitles,includingthose
AninmatewillreceiveaTier1ticketfor ruledinfavorofPEFandtheemployees. inthelawsuitoverbackpay.
badbehavior.Thosewhotrytoescapeor Thestateappealed.LastOctober,the Inresponse,PEFhasfiledaseparate
inciteariotreceiveaTier3ticket,” AppellateCourtissuedadecisionaffirming lawsuitchallengingtherevisions.That
Donahuesaid.“Ahearingisconductedto theSupremeCourt‘sfavorabledecision. lawsuitisstillpending.
determinethepunishment,suchas TheAppellateCourt’sdecisionisnow “Weexpectafinaldecisionfromthe
solitaryconfinement.Itisacourtsystem final.” CourtofAppeals,thestate’shighestcourt,
withintheprisonsystem.” “Thisisabigwinforus,”Donahuesaid. tobeissuedwithinthenextcoupleof
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arch2009—Page21
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