GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

I. WHO MUST FILE

Every labor organization subject to the LaborManagement Reporting and Disclosure Act, as amended (LMRDA), the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA), or the Foreign Service Act (FSA) must file a financial report, Form LM-2, LM-3, or LM-4, each year with the Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) of the U.S. Department of Labor. These laws cover labor organizations that represent employees who work in private industry, employees of the U.S. Postal Service, and most Federal government employees. Labor organizations that include or represent only state, county, or municipal government employees are not covered by these laws and, therefore, are not required to file. If you have a question about whether the labor organization is required to file, contact the nearest OLMS field office listed at the end of these instructions.

II. WHAT FORM TO FILE

Every labor organization subject to the LMRDA, CSRA, or FSA with total annual receipts of $250,000 or more must file Form LM-2. Labor organizations with total annual receipts of less than $250,000 may file the simplified Form LM-3, if not in trusteeship as defined in Section IX (Labor Organization In Trusteeship) of these instructions. Labor organizations with total annual receipts of less than $10,000 may file the abbreviated annual report Form LM-4, if not in trusteeship. The term “total annual receipts” means all financial receipts of the labor organization during its fiscal year, regardless of the source, including receipts of any special funds as described in Section VIII (Funds To Be Reported) or as described in Section X (Labor Organizations With Subsidiary Organizations). Receipts of an LMRDA section 3(l) trust in which the labor organization is interested (as described in Information Item 10) should not be included in the total annual receipts of the labor organization when determining which form to file, unless the 3(l) trust is a subsidiary organization of the union.

III. WHEN TO FILE

Form LM-2 must be filed within 90 days after the end of the labor organization's fiscal year (12-month reporting period). The law does not authorize the Department to grant an extension of time for filing reports. The penalties for delinquency are described in Section VI (Officer Responsibilities and Penalties) of these instructions.

If the labor organization went out of existence during its fiscal year, a terminal financial report must be filed within 30 days after the date it ceased to exist. See Section XII (Labor Organizations That Have Ceased to Exist) of these instructions for information on filing a terminal financial report.

IV. HOW TO FILE

Form LM-2 must be submitted electronically to the Department. Form LM-2 filers will be able to file reports in paper format only if they assert a temporary hardship exemption. If you have difficulty navigating the software, or have questions about its functions and features, call the OLMS Help Desk at: (866) 401-1109. For questions concerning the reporting requirements, please send an e-mail to OLMS-Public@dol.gov or call (202) 693-0123.

TEMPORARY HARDSHIP EXEMPTION: If a labor organization experiences unanticipated technical difficulties that prevent the timely preparation and submission of an electronic filing, the organization may assert a temporary hardship exemption to prepare and submit Form LM-2 in paper format by the required due date. An electronic format copy of the filed paper format document shall be submitted to the Department within ten business days after the required due date. Indicate in Item 3 (Amended, Hardship Exempted, or Terminal Report) that the labor organization is filing under the hardship exemption procedures. Unanticipated technical difficulties that may result in additional delays should be brought to the attention of the OLMS Division of Interpretations and Standards, which can be reached at the address below, by email at OLMS-Public@dol.gov, by phone at (202) 693- 0123, or by fax at 202-693-1340.

Note: If either the paper filing or the electronic filing is not received in the timeframe specified above, the report will be considered delinquent.

V. PUBLIC DISCLOSURE

The LMRDA requires that the Department make labor organization financial reports available for inspection by the public. Reports may be viewed and downloaded from the OLMS Web site at www.unionreports.gov. Copies of reports and union constitutions and bylaws can also be ordered at the same Web site. Reports may also be examined and copies purchased at the OLMS Public Disclosure Room at the following address:

U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Labor-Management Standards
200 Constitution Avenue, NW
Room N-1519
Washington, DC 20210

VI. OFFICER RESPONSIBILITIES AND PENALTIES

The president and treasurer or the corresponding principal officers of the labor organization required to sign Form LM-2 are personally responsible for its filing and accuracy. Under the LMRDA, officers are subject to criminal penalties for willful failure to file a required report and for false reporting. False reporting includes making any false statement or misrepresentation of a material fact while knowing it to be false, or for knowingly failing to disclose a material fact in a required report or in the information required to be contained in it or in any information required to be submitted with it.

The reporting labor organization and the officers required to sign Form LM-2 are also subject to civil prosecution for violations of the filing requirements. Section 210 of the LMRDA (29 U.S.C. 440) provides that "whenever it shall appear that any person has violated or is about to violate any of the provisions of this title, the Secretary may bring a civil action for such relief (including injunctions) as may be appropriate."

Under the CSRA and FSA and implementing regulations, false reporting and failure to report may result in administrative enforcement action and litigation. The officers responsible for signing Form LM-2 are also subject to criminal penalties for false reporting and perjury under Sections 1001 of Title 18 and 1746 of Title 28 of the United States Code.

VII. RECORDKEEPING

The officers required to file Form LM-2 are responsible for maintaining records that will provide in sufficient detail the information and data necessary to verify the accuracy and completeness of the report. The records must be kept for at least 5 years after the date the report is filed. Any record necessary to verify, explain or clarify the report must be retained, including, but not limited to, vouchers, worksheets, receipts, applicable resolutions, and any electronic documents, including recordkeeping software, used to complete, read, and file the report.

VIII. FUNDS TO BE REPORTED

The labor organization must report financial information on Form LM-2 for all funds of the labor organization. Include any special purpose funds or accounts, such as strike funds, vacation funds, and scholarship funds even if they are not part of the labor organization’s general treasury. 

All labor organization political action committee (PAC) funds are considered to be labor organization funds. However, to avoid duplicate reporting, PAC funds that are kept separate from your labor organization’s treasury are not required to be included in your organization’s Form LM-2 if publicly available reports on the PAC funds are filed with a Federal or state agency.

Your organization is required to report financial information about any “subsidiary organizations.”  Financial information about your organization and its subsidiary organizations may be combined on a single Form LM-2 or you may attach to your Form LM-2 report the regular annual report of the financial condition and operations of the subsidiary organization with a signed certification by an independent public accountant, as described in Section X (Labor Organizations With Subsidiary Organizations).

If combining the information concerning subsidiary organizations, be sure to include the requested information and amounts for the subsidiary organizations as well as for all other assets of your union in all items.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR CERTAIN ORGANIZATIONS

IX. LABOR ORGANIZATIONS IN TRUSTEESHIP

Any labor organization that has placed a subordinate labor organization in trusteeship is responsible for filing the subordinate's annual financial report. A trusteeship is defined in section 3(h) of the LMRDA (29 U.S.C. 402) as "any receivership, trusteeship, or other method of supervision or control whereby a labor organization suspends the autonomy otherwise available to a subordinate body under its constitution or bylaws."

Annual financial reports filed for any labor organization in trusteeship must be filed on Form LM-2. The report must be signed by the president and treasurer or corresponding principal officers of the labor organization that imposed the trusteeship. The trustees of the subordinate labor organization must also sign and date Form LM-2. To do so, click on the “Add Signature Block” button on page 1 to open a signature page near the end of the form.

X. LABOR ORGANIZATIONS WITH SUBSIDIARY ORGANIZATIONS

The labor organization must disclose assets, liabilities, receipts, and disbursements of a subsidiary organization.

Within the meaning of these instructions, a subsidiary organization is defined as any separate organization of which the ownership is wholly vested in the reporting labor organization or its officers or its membership, which is governed or controlled by the officers, employees, or members of the reporting labor organization, and which is wholly financed by the reporting labor organization. A subsidiary organization is considered to be wholly financed if the initial financing was provided by the reporting labor organization even if the subsidiary organization is currently wholly or partially self-sustaining. An example of a subsidiary organization is a building corporation which holds title to a building; the labor organization owns the building corporation, selects the officers, and finances the operation of the building corporation.

A labor organization is required to report financial information for each of its subsidiary organizations using one of the following methods:

Method (1) — Consolidate the financial information for the subsidiary organization and the labor organization on a single Form LM-2.

Method (2) —File, with the labor organization’s Form LM-2, the regular annual report of the financial condition and operations of the subsidiary organization, accompanied by a statement signed by an independent public accountant certifying that the financial report presents fairly the financial condition and operations of the subsidiary organization and was prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Financial information reported separately for subsidiary organizations under method (2) must include the name of the subsidiary organization and the name and file number of the labor organization as shown on its Form LM-2. The financial report of the subsidiary organization must cover the same reporting period as that used by the reporting labor organization.

When method (2) is used and the subsidiary organization is an investment, the financial interest of the reporting labor organization in the subsidiary organization must be reported in Item 26 (Investments) and in Schedule 5 (Investments) of the labor organization’s Form LM-2. When method (2) is used and the subsidiary organization is of a non-investment nature, the financial interest of the reporting labor organization in the subsidiary organization must be reported in Item 28 (Other Assets) and in Schedule 7 (Other Assets) of the labor organization’s Form LM-2.

The same type of information required on Form LM-2 regarding disbursements to officers and employees and loans made by labor organizations must also be reported with respect to the subsidiary organization. In method (1) the information relating to the subsidiary organization must be combined with that of the labor organization and reported on the labor organization’s Form LM-2 on Schedule 11 (All Officers and Disbursements to Officers) and Schedule 12 (Disbursements to Employees) and Statement A, Item 24 (Loans Receivable) and Schedule 2 (Loans Receivable) in the detail required by the instructions. If method (2) is used, an attachment must be submitted containing the information required by the instructions for Schedules 2, 11, and 12.

The information regarding loans made by the subsidiary organization must include in Schedule 2 (Loans Receivable) a listing of the names of each officer, employee, or member of the labor organization and each officer or employee of the subsidiary organization whose total loan indebtedness to the subsidiary organization, to the labor organization, or to both at any time during the reporting period exceeded $250.  However, if method (2) is used, the amount reported by the subsidiary organization should be only the amount owed to the subsidiary organization.

The annual financial report must also include on Schedule 11 (All Officers and Disbursements to Officers) all disbursements made by the subsidiary organization to or on behalf of its officers and officers of the labor organization.  The report must also list on Schedule 12 (Disbursements to Employees) the name and position of the subsidiary organization’s employees whose total gross salaries, allowances, and other disbursements from the subsidiary organization, the reporting labor organization, and any affiliates were more than $10,000.  However, if method (2) is used, only the disbursements of the subsidiary organization for its employees should be reported.

Last Updated: 5-21-19