What is the Landrum-Griffith Act?
10-07-2022, 07:33 AM
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What is the Landrum-Griffith Act?
What is the Landrum-Griffith Act?
And why do union members cite it?
Recently you might’ve seen individuals or anonymous emails cite the Landrum-Griffith Act in their communiques or internet forum posts. Well, what is the Landrum-Griffith Act and why would a union member in good standing cite the legal code? (see note, end of this document)
[definition] The Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, (LMRDA)[also known as the Landrum-Griffith Act], grants certain rights, including union member “free speech” rights, to members and protects their interests by promoting democratic procedures within labor organizations.
For the purposes of this document, the Act prevents a union from using its power and resources to silence a member in good standing from free speech or the desire to express one’s own views on matters including the union agenda.
However, turn this statement inside out and you can see how an individual can use the Landrum-Griffith Act to their advantage. If individuals or groups know they can say whatever they want and it’s protected by the govt, where is the limit?
Consider the following from author and professor Y. Harari.
Fake news is not new. What is new is the technology to do it. It has become very easy. Once that is settled, the problem moves to attention. You can publish your opinion but there is so much competition for ‘attention of people’ that a big battle for attention ensues.
Unfortunately, the easiest way to grab people’s attention is by pressing the fear button. If you have two stories — and one offers a moderate and balanced view of facts and the other story offers a radicalised version, the story that causes hate and fear is much more likely to grab your attention.
This simple battle for attention causes a constant process of radicalisation. Everybody wants to have more and more extreme headlines and stories — just to grab people’s attention.
This destroys our ability to have a reasoned discussion.
Our union has a long historical process of the Local Council (LC) meeting. This meeting, also bound by US labor law, allows for all members the chance to be heard, get informed and floor resolutions to bring about change. So why would individuals or groups use alt-methods to speak to union business outside of a Local Council meeting?
Quite often, when passionate and well-intended persons don’t get the democratic results they wanted at a LC (or even a Master Executive Council or MEC) meeting they resort to email lists and social media platforms. Frustrated, they amp up the story, personalize it, dramatize it and of course, like we all do, tell a version that is self-fulfilling. With the technology to reach thousands instantly, alt-agendas are sent, posted and shared creating fear, uncertainty and doubt just to get your attention.
All of this is legal and within the rights of the individual union member. However, when you see
Alt-Agenda Members using email and social media platforms instead of participatory democracy via union meetings and other established processes, objectively consider the source and what they hope to gain. If they cite the Landrum Griffith act, recognize they have the right to free speech in their union, but you might question why they are using that right.
The Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959
(2) FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND ASSEMBLY.-- Every member of any labor organization shall have the right to meet and assemble freely with other members; and to express any views, arguments, or opinions; and to express at meetings of the labor organization his views, upon candidates in an election of the labor organization or upon any business properly before the meeting, subject to the organization's established and reasonable rules pertaining to the conduct of meetings: Provided, That nothing herein shall be construed to impair the right of a labor organization to adopt and enforce reasonable rules as to the responsibility of every member toward the organization as an institution and to his refraining from conduct that would interfere with its performance of its legal or contractual obligations.
[internet search for the complete LMRDA act]
And why do union members cite it?
Recently you might’ve seen individuals or anonymous emails cite the Landrum-Griffith Act in their communiques or internet forum posts. Well, what is the Landrum-Griffith Act and why would a union member in good standing cite the legal code? (see note, end of this document)
[definition] The Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, (LMRDA)[also known as the Landrum-Griffith Act], grants certain rights, including union member “free speech” rights, to members and protects their interests by promoting democratic procedures within labor organizations.
For the purposes of this document, the Act prevents a union from using its power and resources to silence a member in good standing from free speech or the desire to express one’s own views on matters including the union agenda.
However, turn this statement inside out and you can see how an individual can use the Landrum-Griffith Act to their advantage. If individuals or groups know they can say whatever they want and it’s protected by the govt, where is the limit?
Consider the following from author and professor Y. Harari.
Fake news is not new. What is new is the technology to do it. It has become very easy. Once that is settled, the problem moves to attention. You can publish your opinion but there is so much competition for ‘attention of people’ that a big battle for attention ensues.
Unfortunately, the easiest way to grab people’s attention is by pressing the fear button. If you have two stories — and one offers a moderate and balanced view of facts and the other story offers a radicalised version, the story that causes hate and fear is much more likely to grab your attention.
This simple battle for attention causes a constant process of radicalisation. Everybody wants to have more and more extreme headlines and stories — just to grab people’s attention.
This destroys our ability to have a reasoned discussion.
Our union has a long historical process of the Local Council (LC) meeting. This meeting, also bound by US labor law, allows for all members the chance to be heard, get informed and floor resolutions to bring about change. So why would individuals or groups use alt-methods to speak to union business outside of a Local Council meeting?
Quite often, when passionate and well-intended persons don’t get the democratic results they wanted at a LC (or even a Master Executive Council or MEC) meeting they resort to email lists and social media platforms. Frustrated, they amp up the story, personalize it, dramatize it and of course, like we all do, tell a version that is self-fulfilling. With the technology to reach thousands instantly, alt-agendas are sent, posted and shared creating fear, uncertainty and doubt just to get your attention.
All of this is legal and within the rights of the individual union member. However, when you see
Alt-Agenda Members using email and social media platforms instead of participatory democracy via union meetings and other established processes, objectively consider the source and what they hope to gain. If they cite the Landrum Griffith act, recognize they have the right to free speech in their union, but you might question why they are using that right.
The Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959
(2) FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND ASSEMBLY.-- Every member of any labor organization shall have the right to meet and assemble freely with other members; and to express any views, arguments, or opinions; and to express at meetings of the labor organization his views, upon candidates in an election of the labor organization or upon any business properly before the meeting, subject to the organization's established and reasonable rules pertaining to the conduct of meetings: Provided, That nothing herein shall be construed to impair the right of a labor organization to adopt and enforce reasonable rules as to the responsibility of every member toward the organization as an institution and to his refraining from conduct that would interfere with its performance of its legal or contractual obligations.
[internet search for the complete LMRDA act]
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