Section 4117.19. Employee organization reports

(A) Every employee organization that is certified or recognized as a representative of public employees under this chapter shall file with the state employment relations board a registration report that is signed by its president or other appropriate officer. The report shall be in a form prescribed by the board and accompanied by two copies of the employee organization's constitution and bylaws. The board shall accept a filing by a statewide, national, or international employee organization of its constitution and bylaws in lieu of a filing of the documents by each subordinate organization. The exclusive representative or other employee organization originally filing its constitution and bylaws shall report, promptly, to the board all changes or amendments to its constitution and bylaws.

(B) Every employee organization shall file with the board an annual report. The report shall be in a form prescribed by the board and shall contain the following information:

(1) The names and addresses of the organization, any parent organization or organizations with which it is affiliated, and all organizationwide officers;

(2) The name and address of its local agent for service of process;

(3) A general description of the public employees the organization represents or seeks to represent;

(4) The amounts of the initiation fee and monthly dues members must pay;

(5) A pledge, in a form prescribed by the board, that the organization will comply with the laws of the state and that it will accept members without regard to age, race, color, sex, creed, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability as defined in section 4112.01 of the Revised Code, military status as defined in that section, or physical disability as provided by law:

(6) A financial report.

(C) The constitution or bylaws of every employee organization shall do all of the following:

(1) Require that the organization keep accurate accounts of all income and expenses, prepare an annual financial report, keep open for inspection by any member of the organization its accounts, and make loans to officers and agents only on terms and conditions available to all members;

(2) Prohibit business or financial interests of its officers and agents, their spouses, minor children, parents, or otherwise, in conflict with the fiduciary obligation of such persons to the organization;

(3) When specifically requested by the board, require every official who is designated as a fiscal officer of an employee organization and who is responsible for funds or other property of the organization or trust in which an organization is interested, or a subsidiary organization be bonded with the amount, scope, and form of the bond determined by the board;

(4) Require periodic elections of officers by secret ballot subject to recognized safeguards concerning the equal right of all members to nominate, seek office, and vote in the elections, the right of individual members to participate in the affairs of the organization, and fair and equitable procedures in disciplinary actions.

(D) The board shall prescribe rules necessary to govern the establishment and reporting of trusteeships over employee organizations. The establishment of trusteeships is permissible only if the constitution or bylaws of the organization set forth reasonable procedures.

(E) The board may withhold certification of an employee organization that willfully refuses to register or file an annual report or that willfully refuses to comply with other provisions of this section. The board may revoke a certification of an employee organization for willfully failing to comply with this section. The board may enforce the prohibitions contained in this section by petitioning the court of common pleas of the county in which the violation occurs for an injunction. Persons complaining of a violation of this section shall file the complaint with the board.

(F) Upon the written request to the board of any member of a certified employee organization and where the board determines the necessity for an audit, the board may require the employee organization to provide a certified audit of its financial records.

(G) Any employee organization subject to the "Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959," 73 Stat. 519, 29 U.S.C.A., 401, as amended, may file copies with the board of all reports it is required to file under that act in lieu of compliance with all parts of this section other than division (A) of this section. The board shall accept a filing by a statewide, national, or international employee organization of its reports in lieu of a filing of such reports by each subordinate organization.

Effective Date: 03-17-2000; 2007 HB372 03-24-2008