The Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA), also known as the Landrum-Griffin Act, is the federal law that provides rights for most private sector union members, including postal workers and those covered by the Railway Labor Act. It does not apply to union bodies which represent only state and local government employees. Mixed bodies, e.g. a district council that includes private and public sector locals, do fall under the LMRDA. Federal employee unions are covered by similar provisions in the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA). Some public sector unions have the Union Member’s Bill of Rights enshrined in their constitutions.
Title I of the LMRDA highlights the Union Member’s Bill of Rights. Download AUD’s Union Member’s Bill of Rights Flyer to distribute to your fellow union members. If you believe your rights have been violated, contact AUD.
- Basic democratic rights of rank and file union members.
- Freedom of speech rights online and in regards to use of the union’s name and logo.
Democratic Rights For Union Members by Herman Benson is the ultimate guide for knowing your rights and navigating the challenges of union democracy.
This is the complete text of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) from the US Department of Labor website. We have added links in the text to AUD’s summary of the LMRDA and other related documents.
Click here for a PDF of the full text.
Federal Employee Unions
Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) – Standards of Conduct for Federal Sector Labor Organizations
The information in “Democratic Rights in Federal Employee Unions” may be out of date. Reach out to AUD for any questions.