Lobbying Costs May Not Be Charged to Beck Objectors

The National Labor Relations Board held that union charges for lobbying activities violated the National Labor Relations Act because the activities were not related to the union’s representational duties to employees in the bargaining unit as to justify the compelled financial support of the activities by Beck objectors, who are employees paying only the portion of dues related to the union’s representational duties.

In United Nurses and Allied Professionals (Kent Hospital), the Board reasoned that even though the legislative bills at issue may have generally related to employee terms and conditions of employment, lobbying activity is not part of a union’s statutory collective-bargaining obligation, and, thus, cannot be charged to Beck objectors.

The Board also held that unions must provide Beck objectors with verification that the financial information chargeable to them has been independently confirmed by an auditor, and the failure to do so was also a violation of the Act.