Number: 09-06
April 5, 2006
Recordkeeping Obligations of Labor Organizations Under the LMRDA
Note: This message is being re-sent due to technical problems with yesterday's transmission of OLMS-News 08-06
Under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA), unions are required to maintain certain records. Financial records that clarify and verify any report filed with the Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) must be maintained for five years following the date on which the report was filed, and election records must be maintained for one year after the conduct of an election of union officers.
OLMS recognizes that it becomes more difficult and expensive to reproduce a record as time passes. Copies of many records lost during fire, flood, earthquake, or other natural disaster may still be available through the originator or other parties involved. Some banks and credit card companies will provide copies of records for victims of natural disasters at no cost. Additionally, if you are filing an insurance claim for disaster-related losses, it is possible that you can be reimbursed for the costs incurred to reproduce records. This OLMS fact sheet (PDF) regarding union recordkeeping requirements may help explain or justify your requests for duplicate copies.
OLMS is here to assist you in meeting the requirements of the LMRDA. If you have any questions regarding any of the issues discussed above or if there is anything else we can do to help, please do not hesitate to contact your local OLMS District Office. Here is a list of all OLMS offices.
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Last Updated: 04/05/06