Law Commons^™

The Right To Democratic Participation In Labor Unions And The Use Of The Hobbs Act To Combat Organized Crime, Leslie Marshall

Fordham Urban Law Journal

The author examines corruption within labor unions and the responses to that corruption with the use of two laws, the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 and the Hobbs Act. While the LMRDA guarantees union members important rights, corruption and the influence of organized crime has severely weakened members’ ability to exercise those rights. The author argues that RICO actions can and should be pursued against those who extort and otherwise violate union members’ rights because the remedies available under RICO are stronger than those available under the Hobbs Act. The author contends that the Hobbs Act should be …