For years, Connecticut union members were denied a basic right guaranteed under state law: the ability to see how their dues money was being spent.
The problem was never a lack of transparency laws. The problem was that Connecticut’s Department of Labor refused to enforce them.
Last year, Yankee Institute published a policy report documenting how Connecticut General Statutes Section 31-77 had been largely ignored by both union officials and state regulators. The law requires many public-sector unions to file annual financial reports and provide those reports to their members. It also empowers union members to request audits when they suspect financial irregularities.
Yet when union members sought access to these records, they were often met with silence. In one documented case, a union member requested financial reports from state labor officials and was told the Department of Labor did not possess them. That response revealed a troubling reality: the agency charged with enforcing the law had effectively abandoned its responsibility.
Yankee Institute did not call for new legislation. We called for enforcement of the law already on the books. Yankee Institute along with Senators Sampson and Harding demanded answers to protect union members who have a right to know how their union is spending their dues.
Union members can ensure their dues isn’t being spent on issues that have little to do with work. They can evaluate if they want to fund political actions or lavash spending by union bureaucrats. This gives them the ability to hold union officials accountable deterring fraud, waste and abuse.
During testimony before the Connecticut General Assembly, we challenged claims that union members were not seeking this information. We produced evidence showing that members had repeatedly requested financial reports and that state officials were aware of those requests. We argued that government should stop making excuses and start enforcing the law.
The response was immediate.
The legislation under consideration was dropped after Yankee Institute working with key legislators raised the alarm. Shortly thereafter, the Connecticut Department of Labor reversed course.
The agency notified unions of their obligations, established a filing portal for financial reports, clarified reporting requirements, and reminded unions that annual financial disclosures must be provided to members and discussed at regular or special meetings. These actions represented a significant step toward restoring transparency and accountability for thousands of Connecticut workers.
Now comes the strongest validation yet.
For two years Yankee Institute worked to educate CT union members of their rights under the law. This resulted in two union members reaching out to the Fairness Center to fight for to enforce their rights. Rights that were trampled by the Governor Lamont’s executive branch.
Two Connecticut public employees, corrections officer Ryan Bilodeau and criminal justice professor Earl Ormond, have secured court judgments requiring their unions to comply with financial reporting laws going forward. The judgments ensure that union members can access information about how their dues are spent and establish that workers have legal recourse when union officials ignore transparency requirements.
The significance of these victories extends far beyond the individual plaintiffs.
For decades, transparency laws have existed to protect workers from the misuse of union funds and to ensure accountability within organizations that collect mandatory dues and fees. Connecticut adopted these protections after recognizing the need for stronger safeguards against corruption and financial abuse.
The principle is simple: workers deserve to know where their money goes.
Union leaders routinely demand transparency from employers, corporations, government agencies, and taxpayers. They should be held to the same standard themselves. Transparency is not anti-union. It is pro-worker.
This outcome demonstrates an important lesson for policymakers. Too often, government responds to problems by creating new laws, regulations, and mandates. But many of Connecticut’s challenges stem not from insufficient laws, but from the failure to enforce existing ones.
The courts have now confirmed what Yankee Institute, union members, and transparency advocates have argued from the beginning: Connecticut’s financial disclosure requirements are real, they are enforceable, and union officials must comply with them.
Most importantly, rank-and-file workers have learned something equally valuable. They are not powerless. When government agencies fail to do their jobs, citizens can still demand accountability. When public officials refuse to enforce the law, workers can insist that the law be followed.
This victory belongs to every Connecticut union member who believes that accountability should apply to everyone—including the organizations collecting their dues.
The law always required transparency.
Now, finally, transparency is being enforced.
