Trusteeships shall be established and administered by a labor organization over a subordinate body only in accordance with the constitution and bylaws of the organization which has assumed trusteeship over the subordinate body and for the purpose of (a) correcting corruption or financial malpractice, (b) assuring the performance of negotiated agreements or other duties of a representative of employees, (c) restoring democratic procedures, or (d) otherwise carrying out the legitimate objects of such labor organization.

During any period when a subordinate body of a labor organization is in trusteeship, (a) the votes of delegates or other representatives from such body in any convention or election of officers of the labor organization shall not be counted unless the representatives have been chosen by secret ballot in an election in which all the members in good standing of such subordinate body were eligible to participate; and (b) no current receipts or other funds of the subordinate body except the normal per capita tax and assessments payable by subordinate bodies not in trusteeship shall be transferred directly or indirectly to the labor organization which has imposed the trusteeship; Provided, however, That nothing contained in this section shall prevent the distribution of the assets of a labor organization in accordance with its constitution and bylaws upon the bona fide dissolution thereof.

In any proceeding involving § 458.26, a trusteeship established by a labor organization in conformity with the procedural requirements of its constitution and bylaws and authorized or ratified after a fair hearing either before the executive board or before such other body as may be provided in accordance with its constitution and bylaws shall be presumed valid for a period of 18 months from the date of its establishment and shall not be subject to attack during such period except upon clear and convincing proof that the trusteeship was not established or maintained in good faith for purposes allowable under § 458.26. After the expiration of 18 months the trusteeship shall be presumed invalid in any such proceeding, unless the labor organization shall show by clear and convincing proof that the continuation of the trusteeship is necessary for a purpose allowable under § 458.26.

The term LMRDA means the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, as amended (29 U.S.C. 401 et seq.). Unless otherwise provided in this part or in the CSRA or FSA, any term in any section of the LMRDA which is incorporated into this part by reference, and any term in this part which is also used in the LMRDA, shall have the meaning which that term has under the LMRDA, unless the context in which it is used indicates that such meaning is not applicable. In applying the standards contained in this subpart the Director will be guided by the interpretations and policies followed by the Department of Labor in applying the provisions of the LMRDA and by applicable court decisions.

(a)(1) Equal rights. Every member of a labor organization shall have equal rights and privileges within such organization to nominate candidates, to vote in elections or referendums of the labor organization, to attend membership meetings and to participate in the deliberations and voting upon the business of such meetings, subject to reasonable rules and regulations in such organization's constitution and bylaws.

(2) Freedom of speech and assembly. Every member of any labor organization shall have the right to meet and assemble freely with other members; and to express any views, arguments or opinions; and to express at meetings of the labor organization his views upon candidates in an election of the labor organization or upon any business properly before the meeting, subject to the organization's established and reasonable rules pertaining to the conduct of meetings: Provided, That nothing herein shall be construed to impair the right of a labor organization to adopt and enforce reasonable rules as to the responsibility of every member toward the organization as an institution and to his refraining from conduct that would interfere with its performance of its legal or contractual obligations.

(3) Dues, initiation fees, and assessments. Except in the case of a federation of national or international labor organizations, the rates of dues and initiation fees payable by members of any labor organization in effect on the date this section is published shall not be increased, and no general or special assessment shall be levied upon such members, except:

(i) In the case of a local organization, (A) by majority vote by secret ballot of the members in good standing voting at a general or special membership meeting, after reasonable notice of the intention to vote upon such question, or (B) by majority vote of the members in good standing voting in a membership referendum conducted by secret ballot; or

(ii) In the case of a labor organization, other than a local labor organization or a federation of national or international labor organizations, (A) by majority vote of the delegates voting at a regular convention, or at a special convention of such labor organization held upon not less than 30 days written notice to the principal office of each local or constituent labor organization entitled to such notice, or (B) by majority vote of the members in good standing of such labor organization voting in a membership referendum conducted by secret ballot, or (C) by majority vote of the members of the executive board or similar governing body of such labor organization, pursuant to express authority contained in the constitution and bylaws of such labor organization: Provided, That such action on the part of the executive board or similar governing body shall be effective only until the next regular convention of such labor organization.

(4) Protection of the right to sue. No labor organization shall limit the right of any member thereof to institute an action in any court, or in a proceeding before any administrative agency, irrespective of whether or not the labor organization or its officers are named as defendants or respondents in such action or proceedings, or the right of any member of a labor organization to appear as a witness in any judicial, administrative, or legislative proceeding, or to petition any legislature or to communicate with any legislator: Provided, That any such member may be required to exhaust reasonable hearing procedures (but not to exceed a 4-month lapse of time) within such organization, before instituting legal or administrative proceedings against such organizations or any officer thereof.

(5) Safeguards against improper disciplinary action. No member of any labor organization may be fined, suspended, expelled, or otherwise disciplined, except for nonpayment of dues by such organization or by any officer thereof unless such member has been (i) served with written specific charges; (ii) given a reasonable time to prepare his defense; (iii) afforded a full and fair hearing.

(b) Any provision of the constitution and bylaws of any labor organization which is inconsistent with the provisions of this section shall not be a defense to any proceeding instituted against the labor organization under this part or under the CSRA or FSA.

(c) Nothing contained in this section shall limit the rights and remedies of any member of a labor organization under any State or Federal law or before any court or other tribunal, or under the constitution and bylaws of any labor organization.

(d) It shall be the duty of the secretary or corresponding principal officer of each labor organization, in the case of a local labor organization, to forward a copy of each agreement made by such labor organization with an agency, Department or activity to any employee who requests such a copy and whose rights as such employee are directly affected by such agreement, and in the case of a labor organization other than a local labor organization, to forward a copy of any such agreement to each constituent unit which has members directly affected by such agreement; and such officer shall maintain at the principal office of the labor organization of which he is an officer, copies of any such agreement made or received by such labor organization, which copies shall be available for inspection by any member or by any employee whose rights are affected by such agreement. An employee's rights under this paragraph shall be enforceable in the same manner as the rights of a member.

The reporting provisions of parts 402, 403, and 408 of this chapter shall apply to labor organizations subject to the requirements of the CSRA or FSA.

(a) Every labor organization subject to the requirements of the CSRA, the FSA, or the CAA shall inform its members concerning the standards of conduct provisions of the Acts and the regulations in this subchapter. Labor organizations shall provide such notice to members by October 2, 2006 and thereafter to all new members within 90 days of the time they join and to all members at least once every three years. Notice must be provided by hand delivery, U.S. mail or e-mail or a combination of the three as long as the method is reasonably calculated to reach all members. Such notice may be included with the required notice of local union elections. Where a union newspaper is used to provide notice, the notice must be conspicuously placed on the front page of the newspaper, or the front page should have a conspicuous reference to the inside page where the notice appears, so that the inclusion of the notice in a particular issue is readily apparent to each member.

(b) A labor organization may demonstrate compliance with the requirements of paragraph (a) of this section by showing that another labor organization provided an appropriate notice to all of its members during the necessary time frame.

(c) Labor organizations may use the Department of Labor publication Union Member Rights and Officer Responsibilities under the Civil Service Reform Act (available on the OLMS Web site at http://www.dol.gov/olms) or may devise their own language as long as the notice accurately states all of the CSRA standards of conduct provisions as set forth in the fact sheet.

(d) If a labor organization has a Web site, the site must contain a conspicuous link to Union Member Rights and Officer Responsibilities under the Civil Service Reform Act or, alternatively, to the labor organization's own notice prepared in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section.

Every labor organization subject to the CSRA or FSA shall conduct periodic elections of officers in a fair and democratic manner. All elections of officers shall be governed by the standards prescribed in sections 401 (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g) of the LMRDA to the extent that such standards are relevant to elections held pursuant to the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 7120 or 22 U.S.C. 4117 .

When an elected officer of a local labor organization is charged with serious misconduct and the constitution and bylaws of such organization do not provide an adequate procedure meeting the standards of § 417.2(b) of this chapter for removal of such officer, the labor organization shall follow a procedure which meets those standards.

The standards of fiduciary responsibility prescribed in section 501(a) of the LMRDA are incorporated into this subpart by reference and made a part hereof.

Every labor organization shall provide accounting and financial controls necessary to assure the maintenance of fiscal integrity.

(a) No officer or agent of a labor organization shall, directly or indirectly through his spouse, minor child, or otherwise (1) have or acquire any pecuniary or personal interest which would conflict with his fiduciary obligation to such labor organization, or (2) engage in any business or financial transaction which conflicts with his fiduciary obligation.

(b) Actions prohibited by paragraph (a) of this section include, but are not limited to, buying from, selling, or leasing directly or indirectly to, or otherwise dealing with the labor organization, its affiliates, subsidiaries, or trusts in which the labor organization is interested, or having an interest in a business any part of which consists of such dealings, except bona fide investments of the kind exempted from reporting under section 202(b) of the LMRDA. The receipt of salaries and reimbursed expenses for services actually performed or expenses actually incurred in carrying out the duties of the officer or agent is not prohibited.

No labor organization shall directly or indirectly make any loan to any officer or employee of such organization which results in a total indebtedness on the part of such officer or employee to the labor organization in excess of $2,000.

Every officer, agent, shop steward, or other representative or employee of any labor organization subject to the CSRA or FSA (other than a labor organization whose property and annual financial receipts do not exceed $5,000 in value), or of a trust in which a labor organization is interested, who handles funds or other property thereof shall be bonded in accordance with the principles of section 502(a) of the LMRDA. In enforcing this requirement the Director will be guided by the interpretations and policies followed by the Department of Labor in applying the provisions of section 502(a) of the LMRDA and by applicable court decisions.

The prohibitions against holding office or employment in a labor organization contained in section 504(a) of the LMRDA are incorporated into this subpart by reference and made a part hereof. The prohibitions shall also be applicable to any person who has been convicted of, or who has served any part of a prison term resulting from his conviction of, violating 18 U.S.C. 1001 by making a false statement in any report required to be filed pursuant to this subpart, or who has been determined by the Director after an appropriate proceeding pursuant to §§ 458.66 through 458.92 to have willfully violated § 458.27: Provided, however, That the Director or such other person as he may designate may exempt a person from the prohibition against holding office or employment or may reduce the period of the prohibition where he determines that it would not be contrary to the purposes of the CSRA or the FSA and this section to permit a person barred from holding office or employment to hold such office or employment.

No labor organization or any officer, agent, shop steward, or other representative or any employee thereof shall fine, suspend, expel, or otherwise discipline any of its members for exercising any right to which he is entitled under the provisions of the CSRA or FSA or this subchapter.

No labor organization or any officer, agent, shop steward, or other representative or any employee thereof shall use, conspire to use, or threaten to use force or violence to restrain, coerce, or intimidate, or attempt to restrain, coerce, or intimidate any member of a labor organization for the purpose of interfering with or preventing the exercise of any right to which he is entitled under the provisions of the CSRA or FSA or of this subchapter.