A new Yankee Institute report, Blatant Lawlessness: How the CT Department of Labor & Union Leaders Disrespect Union Workers and Ignore the Law, highlights the Connecticut Department of Labor’s (CT DOL’s) failure to enforce vital state laws. These laws require unions to provide financial transparency to their members, and the state’s non-enforcement leaves dues-paying workers vulnerable to potential mismanagement and corruption.
Enacted in 1959, Connecticut General Statutes Sec. 31-77 mandates that unions representing public and private sector employees submit verified annual financial reports to the CT DOL and make them available to members. This law was enacted to prevent fraud, embezzlement, and misuse of union funds.
Yankee Institute’s report reveals that the CT DOL has consistently failed to enforce these requirements, allowing union leaders to operate without accountability and leaving members in the dark about how their dues are spent.
“Union members deserve to know how their hard-earned dues are being used, and the state has a legal and ethical duty to ensure transparency,” said Frank Ricci, Labor Fellow at Yankee Institute and a former union president. “The CT DOL’s inaction is a betrayal of trust that undermines the rights of workers and taxpayers alike. When laws are ignored, the door is left open to corruption.”
The report highlights national and statewide examples of union misconduct. In Connecticut, cases like the 2013 arrest of AFSCME Council 4 leaders for embezzlement and a 2018 court ruling noting “suspicious” financial practices by the Uniform Professional Fire Fighters Association (UPFFA) underscore the need for oversight.
Yet none of these cases were uncovered by the CT DOL, which has repeatedly failed to act on its mandate to collect and audit union financial reports. This failure of accountability disadvantages both workers, who are denied their legal right to transparency, and union leaders, who may be unaware of their obligations due to the state’s inaction.
“Transparency is not optional — it’s a legal and ethical imperative,” said Yankee Institute President Carol Platt Liebau. “Our report highlights the CT DOL’s inexcusable failure to protect union members and demands accountability to ensure unions operate with integrity.”
The report calls for immediate reform, urging Gov. Ned Lamont, Attorney General William Tong, and Labor Commissioner Danté Bartolomeo to uphold their oaths to enforce state law.
It also empowers union members to take action, offering resources through Yankee Institute for those seeking to hold their unions and state officials accountable. Workers can contact Yankee Institute at 203-285-4907 or visit CTUnionfacts.com for confidential, no-cost guidance on accessing financial reports or requesting audits.
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