On June 12, 2022 the AFL-CIO published the latest version of its Constitution.1 In its Article X. Executive Council (EC), Section 17 authorizes the EC to adopt an ethical practices code for its own officers and employees and for the various state and local central labor councils. It also requires affiliates to adopt and enforce their own ethical practice codes. The EC and affiliates must establish sanctions for non-compliance with the requirement. The section reads:

The Executive Council shall be authorized by a two-thirds vote to: (i) adopt an ethical practices code that covers the executive officers and employees of the AFL-CIO and the state, area and local central bodies and to establish an appropriate enforcement system and appropriate sanctions for violations of such code; and (ii) require trade and industrial departments and national and international unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO to adopt and enforce within their own organizations ethical practices codes that are consistent with the AFL-CIO code and to establish appropriate sanctions for non-compliance with this requirement. In the event the sanctions provided for by the Executive Council include suspension from the AFL-CIO or from AFL-CIO office, that sanction may be imposed only by a two-thirds vote of the Council after an appropriate hearing.

The Executive Council consists of the President, Secretary-Treasurer, and the 55 Vice Presidents.

AUD has in its possession the long out of print original 48-page AFL-CIO Codes of Ethical Practices from 1957, and it is available on the AUD website for $4.00. AUD has been happy to provide the Code for a nominal cost as many labor officials seemed unaware of their existence, reported Herman Benson. (See “Where are those missing ethical practice codes?”https://bensonsudblog.blogspot.com/2006/10/where-are-those-missing-afl-cio.html6)

At the time of Benson’s 2006 article, labor officials began calling for the creation of ethical practice codes after the arrest of Brian McLaughlin, President of the NYC AFL-CIO Central Labor Council, for stealing millions from the Council.

That first comprehensive AFL-CIO code went through several editions. Enforcement machinery was included in the AFL-CIO Constitution. In 1995 a supplementary code was adopted that applied specifically to city and state labor councils and their officers, reported Benson.

AUD has inquired with the AFL-CIO as to whether a copy of the current code is available and if a new code has been adopted or is in the works. So far, as this issue goes to press, we have not received a response.
1. https://aflcio.org/reports/afl-cio-constitution, accessed 12/14/22