LaborLab, a national labor relations watchdog, has formally lodged a complaint with the Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) against Labor Management Associates, LLC, a Kentucky-based anti-union “persuader” firm. The complaint concerns multiple violations of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) in their engagements with various corporations, including Westinghouse, a nuclear fuel manufacturing facility located in Hopkins, SC.
The Westinghouse plant in Hopkins plays a vital role in nuclear fuel production, with its workforce engaged in highly skilled and essential tasks. Workers at the plant are trying to unionize with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). However, in response to exercising their collective bargaining rights, Westinghouse has enlisted the services of an anti-union “persuader” consultant firm: Labor Management Associates, LLC.
In a letter addressed to OLMS, LaborLab raised serious concerns about the lack of transparency and compliance exhibited by Labor Management Associates. A thorough review conducted by LaborLab uncovered alarming findings, indicating that 75% of the firm’s LM-20 filings were submitted late and deficient, with some filings occurring nearly a year after the initiation of union-busting agreements with corporations. This pattern of chronic tardiness represents a clear violation of the timeliness rule outlined in the LMRDA.
Furthermore, Labor Management Associates consistently failed to disclose the terms and conditions of their union-busting agreements, skirting the disclosure rules set forth in the LMRDA. Despite OLMS’s commendable efforts to enforce compliance, Labor Management Associates persistently flouted these regulations.
In light of these violations, LaborLab has urged OLMS to conduct a thorough investigation into Labor Management Associates’ relationship with Westinghouse and take appropriate action to uphold corporate transparency and ensure that workers receive the information to which they are legally entitled.
“We cannot allow corporations and their hired firms to operate with impunity, disregarding the rights and protections afforded to workers under the law,” stated Bob Funk, Executive Director for LaborLab. “Labor Management Associates’ blatant disregard for the LMRDA undermines the integrity of the labor-management relationship and jeopardizes the rights of workers. It is imperative that OLMS takes swift and decisive action to hold Labor Management Associates accountable for their actions.”
