Labor-Management Standards Office

The Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS) can trace its origin back to the passage of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, as amended (LMRDA) on September 14, 1959. LMRDA was enacted by Congress to ensure certain basic standards of democracy and fiscal responsibility in labor organizations representing employees in private industry. The organization's original name was the Bureau of Labor-Management Reports (BLMR). It was re-named the Labor-Management Services Administration (LMSA) in 1963. At one time or another LMSA had responsibilities which included pension and welfare plans, Federal labor relations, veterans reemployment rights, and an anti-racketeering/organized crime strike force. Through reorganizations and the creation of new agencies through legislation, these functions were subsequently transferred to other Federal agencies. With the passage of the Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA) in 1978, the federal labor relations program was transferred to the newly created Federal Labor Relations Authority. However, the Standard of Conduct provisions of the CSRA which regulate internal affairs of federal-sector unions remained in LMSA. In 1980, the Foreign Service Act (FSA) was passed and unions representing employees of the Department of State and U. S. Information Agency (USIA) became subject to Standards of Conduct requirements. The agency became known as OLMS in 1984. In 1992, OLMS became part of the Employment Standards Administration (ESA). In 1993, OLMS was transferred to the newly created Office of the American Workplace (OAW). In 1996, OAW ceased to exist and OLMS was transferred back to ESA. In 2009, ESA was eliminated and OLMS became an independent agency reporting directly to the Secretary of Labor.