Most unions at the national or state level have the authority under certain circumstances to impose what are known  as trusteeships (sometimes known as “receiverships”) on local unions. During the imposition of trusteeship, a union local loses control over its assets and the day-to-day running of union affairs. For as long as the trusteeship is in force, an individual appointed by the national union assumes this day-to-day authority. Periodic reports must be filed detailing the reason the trusteeship was imposed and reporting on all of the financial implications. The law says that a union may be placed into trusteeship only for certain reasons, and whatever procedures are outlined in the union’s constitution and bylaws must be followed. Trusteeships often serve useful purposes in weeding out pockets of corruption in union locals, and in helping locals that are in trouble because of extreme fiscal mismanagement or political infighting get back on their feet. At the same time, there have been abuses of the authority to impose trusteeships, where a national union has tried simply to impose its will on a local.
—Adapted from The Union Member's Complete Guide, by Michael Mauer |
