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Blog

Teamsters: Taking on freedom of speech around the world
Argentina has faced a lot of adversity in the last decade, not the least of which was the Kirchner Administration’s (and the legislature’s) recent attack on free speech and the press, as reported in the Wall Street Journal.   It doesn’t help that the Teamsters locals are cutting off paper distribution, to force unionization under the [more...]

Posted Thu, 05 Nov 2009 .

Retirement: Sexual harrassment by any other name
One of 24 international vice presidents of the Teamsters, James Santangelo, has resigned his multiple posts within the Teamsters union. He was the president of Teamsters Joint Council 42 which represented 129,000 members in California, Hawaii, and elsewhere. He also led Local 848.  While the Teamsters maintain they didn’t force him out, you wonder why they [more...]

Posted Thu, 05 Nov 2009 .

 Read more at LaborPains.org

Center for Union Facts Database

The Center for Union Facts database contains more than 3 million facts about the American labor movement. From the smallest local to the largest international union, we've compiled the most comprehensive database of information available.

The database is organized to provide easy access to information about the 125 international unions tracked by the U.S. Department of Labor. Other labor organization entities — such as locals, councils, lodges, etc. — are listed under those organizations.

Other independent labor organizations are also covered by our database. They can be found using the search function on this page.

Database Information
The Center for Union Facts database is built on information released under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) from a number of federal agencies, including:

  • The Department of Labor
  • The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
  • The Federal Election Commission
  • The Internal Revenue Service
  • The National Labor Relations Board
  • The United States Senate

The majority of information in our database is self-reported by unions under federal regulations. We cannot be responsible for correcting inaccurate information that labor organizations provide to these government agencies. Please contact the original source listed below to correct any inaccurate information.


Detailed Database Methodology

Financial and Membership Information
Financial and membership information is drawn from the Department of Labor's (DOL) LM filing database dating back to the year 2000.

This information is self-reported. Any inaccuracies are the result of an error either on the part of the union or the DOL.

Locals and Leaders
Information on union locals and leadership is derived from the Department of Labor's LM filing database dating back to the year 2000. This information is self-reported. Any inaccuracies are the result of an error either on the part of the union or the DOL.

Political Action Committees (PACs)
Information on union-affiliated Political Action Committees is drawn from the Federal Election Commission (FEC) database of 2003-2004 political donations. We identified more than 300 union-affiliated PACs and assigned them to their respective unions. Some irregularities may exist due to inconsistent names.

Information on PAC contributions is self-reported. Any inaccuracies are the result of an error either on the part of the union or the FEC.

The FEC's PAC information should not be viewed as a complete picture of a union's political contributions. The FEC only regulates political contributions to federal candidates (U.S. Senators, Representatives, and the President). Many union organizations make political contributions on the local and state level, which are not reported here. Some of that information can be found in union 527 political organization filings.

527 Organizations
Unlike Political Action Committees, which may make direct contributions of up to $5,000 to federal candidates for office, 527 political organizations do not fall under the purview of the Federal Election Commission. Although 527 organizations are required to report receipts and contributions on a semi-regular basis to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), those reports are neither standardized nor readily available.

Information on 527 organizations is limited to the IRS's database of electronically filed 8872 forms. Many 8872s have only been filed on paper. As a result, our database should not be seen as a complete view of a labor unions' 527 activity. Please note that many 527 disbursements are not direct contributions to campaigns, but rather transfers between union-affiliated 527s.

We identified more than 1,100 union-affiliated 527s and assigned them to their respective unions. Some irregularities may exist due to inconsistent names.

IRS 8872 filings are self-reported. Any inaccuracies are the result of an error either on the part of the union or the IRS.

Lobbying Money
Information on lobbying activity is drawn from the U.S. Senate's Lobbying Disclosure Records, and represent union funds spent to lobby for federal legislation in the Senate. This information does not represent a union's total lobbying expenditures, which may include funds reported to the House of Representatives, the executive branch, or state or local governments. It also does not include any funds not reported to any official entity, but which are nonetheless aimed at influencing federal, state, or local policy.

To tabulate lobbying expenditures, we identified more than 600 self-reported, union-affiliated lobbying reports and assigned them to their respective unions. Some irregularities may exists due to inconsistent names.

Unfair Labor Practices
Also Known As “C Cases”
Information on Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges is drawn from the National Labor Relations Board's Case Activity Tracking (CATS) database. To identify ULP charges, we queried the CATS database for C Cases with a union named as a charged party. We differentiated unions according to the NLRB's union identification.

Decertification Elections
Also Known As “RD Cases”
Information on decertification elections is drawn from the National Labor Relations Board's Case Activity Tracking (CATS) database. To identify decertification elections, we queried the CATS database for RD Cases. We differentiated unions according to the NLRB union identification.

Election Records
Also Known As “RC Cases”
Information on certification elections is drawn from the National Labor Relations Board's Case Activity Tracking (CATS) database. To identify decertification elections, we queried the CATS database for RC Cases. We assigned a union's win/loss recored based on the number of electioons where representation was certified. We differentiated unions according to the NLRB union identification.