The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“RE: ONLINE PUBLICATION OF LABOR-MANAGEMENT RECORDS” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Labor was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E1124 on June 21, 2002.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RE: ONLINE PUBLICATION OF LABOR-MANAGEMENT RECORDS
______
HON. DAN MILLER
of florida
in the house of representatives
Friday, June 21, 2002
Mr. DAN MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao and the Department of Labor for their commitment to openness with their plan to use Internet technology to increase the accountability of labor groups.
Beginning on June 13, the Labor Department began posting internal financial documents from hundreds of labor unions on its Web site. Included in these postings is information on union salaries and net assets. Disclosure of these labor-management records has been required of labor groups since 1959, when Congress passed the Landrum-Griffin Act in an effort to improve financial accountability among unions. Yet prior to this measure, those seeking to know more about union finances had to visit a Labor Department field office in person in order to review the paperwork. Now, Americans have all of this information at their disposal with a simple click of the mouse.
This action will empower individual union members to find out, from the comfort of their homes, exactly where their union dues are going. For too long, union members had obstacles to this information. Through this initiative, the Department of Labor has removed these barriers and brought disclosure into the 21st century.
Because these records were already public, this plan reflects the Labor Department's sincere commitment to making more information available to the public. I thank Secretary Chao and her department for remaining vigilant to ensure that money is not being misused for political causes, and I hope that the agency's latest initiative improves transparency of unions.
____________________
