The Dep’t of Labor is urging unions to electronically file the financial forms required under the Landrum-Griffin Act (a.k.a., Labor-Management Reporting & Disclosure Act of 1959). The Office of Labor-Management Standards will enclose copies of a compact disc containing the forms with the traditional paper forms sent to labor unions at the end of their fiscal year, Don Todd, a deputy assistant secretary of OLMS, said Jan. 23. “The software will bring required reporting into the 21st century and should save unions valuable time and enhance the accuracy of their financial reports,” he said.
Approximately 30,000 unions must file forms annually with OLMS disclosing their financial condition and operations for the preceding fiscal year. They are required to fill out LM-2, LM-3, or LM-4 forms, depending on their annual receipts. Among the selling points for using the electronic forms is the ability to download information from previously filed reports and transfer other electronic information regarding officers and employees directly onto the forms, according to DOL. The software also performs calculations and checks for errors and discrepancies. A system for union officers to obtain digital signatures and submit the reports electronically over the Internet with automatic receipt confirmation will be made available shortly.
The software can be installed with a CD on computers running Windows 95 or above. Guides with detailed instructions for using the forms are included with the software, DOL said. More information about the new electronic forms software is available on the Internet at: http://www.dol.gov/dol/esa/public/olms_org.htm. [BNA 1/24/02]