I work for a municipal city that will be consolidating with another municipal agency in the near future. We are union represented, however out union would like to bring the other employees over into our union with their same seniority.

Is there any current federal law that requires the union to act in the best interest of its current members rather than getting the best deal for the future members?

Tanks to any and all.

-- T. Davis (sapper336@hotmail.com), September 28, 2004

Answers

Your executive board has a fiduciary obligation to it's members. Additional rights and responsibilities should be contained in your bylaws. However, you may be overlooking the larger issue: how to best mesh the conflicting needs from the two different memberships. With any merger there will be those that end up with less than what they may have had, but the question for meeting the fiduciary test will be what's best for the organization when individuals have competeing interests. If the interests are irreconciable, then what's best for the organization?

Either way, you guys are going to be one unit. You should try to make the assimilation as fair as possible to each side. your alternative will be a lot of acrimony that will hurt your local much more than the negative aspect a few indiduals will experience. Good luck, R. Peterson, VP L1171 IAFF

-- richard peterson (flshpnt@bayarea.net), October 24, 2004.