CPAW Commends Department of Labor for Historic Union Transparency Upgrade

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Coalition to Protect American Workers (CPAW) commends the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) for launching a new data visualization tool giving union members the clearest, most accessible window into union finances in over two decades — and a long-overdue check on how their dues are actually being spent.

The new tool is the most significant update to Form LM-2 disclosure since OLMS began posting union filings online more than 20 years ago. It converts what were previously hundreds of pages of dense financial documents into interactive charts, searchable tables, and multi-year comparisons — allowing any union member to see at a glance how their dues are being spent on salaries, representational activities, and political contributions and lobbying.

That last category is where this tool matters most. Major unions have funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into partisan political activity — money taken directly from workers' paychecks, often without their full knowledge or meaningful consent. Until now, tracking that money required the kind of time and technical patience most workers simply don't have. That was not an accident.

This is what a pro-worker administration looks like in action. The Trump administration has made worker transparency and accountability a consistent priority, and the Department of Labor is delivering on that commitment. Unions that are fighting for wages, safety, and worker dignity have nothing to fear from that sunlight. Unions that have substituted political ambition for worker representation should expect scrutiny — and now their members have the tools to provide it.

CPAW applauds this step and encourages every union member in America to use this tool. Workers have always had a right to know where their money is going. Now they can find out in minutes.