Labor Department unveils controversial union 'persuader' rule(Reuters) - The Department of Labor on Wednesday released a long-awaited rule requiring companies to disclose when they seek advice about countering union campaigns, which several business groups vowed to challenge in court. The so-called persuader rule, first proposed in 2011, amends the federal Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act to require detailed reports from employers and their advisers, including the types of consulting or legal services rendered and any fees paid.  For more than 50 years, the reporting law required such disclosure from employers only when their lawyers or consultants interacted directly with workers.  The Department of Labor said in a memo accompanying the rule that workers would be better prepared to make decisions about unionizing if they knew who was behind their employers’ arguments. The rule is backed by major unions, including the Service Employees International Union and the AFL-CIO. Activities covered by the rule include hiring consultants or lawyers to create materials and policies for organizing anti-union campaigns or script managers’ communications with employees. The proposal has come under attack from groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, which say it would stifle employers’ free speech rights to counter union organizing, and the American Bar Association, which says it could interfere with attorney-client privilege. The rule is the latest salvo in the business community’s battle with the Obama administration over labor policy. Business groups compared the proposal with rules adopted last year by the National Labor Relations Board to speed up the union election process, saying both provide little benefit to workers while burdening employers.  Several business groups on Wednesday said they would probably sue over the persuader rule. They said it could discourage some companies from consulting lawyers at all, potentially leading them to commit inadvertent labor violations during union campaigns.  “The DOL must have created this rule with the real intent of assisting organized labor because they are the only ones who stand to gain anything from this,” said Robert Cresanti, president and chief executive officer of the International Franchise Association, one of the groups that says it is considering a court challenge. Pushback was also expected from Republicans in Congress. Representative John Kline of Minnesota, who chairs the House Education and the Workforce Committee, said in a statement on Wednesday that the rule was unfair because it did not impose the same disclosure requirements on unions. politicsNews
labor department unveils controversial union rule reuters the department labor wednesday released rule requiring companies disclose seek advice countering union campaigns several business groups vowed challenge court the persuaded rule first proposed amends federal labor management reporting disclosure act require detailed reports employers advisers including types consulting legal services rendered fees paid for years reporting law required disclosure employers lawyers consultants interacted directly workers the department labor said memo accompanying rule workers would better prepared make decisions unionizing knew behind employers arguments the rule backed major unions including service employees international union activities covered rule include hiring consultants lawyers create materials policies organizing campaigns script managers communications employees the proposal come attack groups including chamber commerce national association manufacturers say would stifle employers free speech rights counter union organizing american bar association says could interfere privilege the rule latest salvo business community battle obama administration labor policy business groups compared proposal rules adopted last year national labor relations board speed union election process saying provide little benefit workers burning employers several business groups wednesday said would probably sue persuaded rule they said could discourage companies consulting lawyers potentially leading commit inadvertent labor violations union campaigns the dol must created rule real intent assisting organized labor ones stand gain anything said robert cresanti president chief executive officer international franchise association one groups says considering court challenge pushback also expected republicans congress representative john line minnesota chairs house education workforce committee said statement wednesday rule unfair impose disclosure requirements unions politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Labor Department unveils controversial union 'persuader' rule(Reuters) - The Department of Labor on Wednesday released a long-awaited rule requiring companies to disclose when they seek advice about countering union campaigns, which several business groups vowed to challenge in court. The so-called persuader rule, first proposed in 2011, amends the federal Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act to require detailed reports from employers and their advisers, including the types of consulting or legal services rendered and any fees paid.  For more than 50 years, the reporting law required such disclosure from employers only when their lawyers or consultants interacted directly with workers.  The Department of Labor said in a memo accompanying the rule that workers would be better prepared to make decisions about unionizing if they knew who was behind their employers’ arguments. The rule is backed by major unions, including the Service Employees International Union and the AFL-CIO. Activities covered by the rule include hiring consultants or lawyers to create materials and policies for organizing anti-union campaigns or script managers’ communications with employees. The proposal has come under attack from groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, which say it would stifle employers’ free speech rights to counter union organizing, and the American Bar Association, which says it could interfere with attorney-client privilege. The rule is the latest salvo in the business community’s battle with the Obama administration over labor policy. Business groups compared the proposal with rules adopted last year by the National Labor Relations Board to speed up the union election process, saying both provide little benefit to workers while burdening employers.  Several business groups on Wednesday said they would probably sue over the persuader rule. They said it could discourage some companies from consulting lawyers at all, potentially leading them to commit inadvertent labor violations during union campaigns.  “The DOL must have created this rule with the real intent of assisting organized labor because they are the only ones who stand to gain anything from this,” said Robert Cresanti, president and chief executive officer of the International Franchise Association, one of the groups that says it is considering a court challenge. Pushback was also expected from Republicans in Congress. Representative John Kline of Minnesota, who chairs the House Education and the Workforce Committee, said in a statement on Wednesday that the rule was unfair because it did not impose the same disclosure requirements on unions. politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: labor department unveils controversial union rule reuters the department labor wednesday released rule requiring companies disclose seek advice countering union campaigns several business groups vowed challenge court the persuaded rule first proposed amends federal labor management reporting disclosure act require detailed reports employers advisers including types consulting legal services rendered fees paid for years reporting law required disclosure employers lawyers consultants interacted directly workers the department labor said memo accompanying rule workers would better prepared make decisions unionizing knew behind employers arguments the rule backed major unions including service employees international union activities covered rule include hiring consultants lawyers create materials policies organizing campaigns script managers communications employees the proposal come attack groups including chamber commerce national association manufacturers say would stifle employers free speech rights counter union organizing american bar association says could interfere privilege the rule latest salvo business community battle obama administration labor policy business groups compared proposal rules adopted last year national labor relations board speed union election process saying provide little benefit workers burning employers several business groups wednesday said would probably sue persuaded rule they said could discourage companies consulting lawyers potentially leading commit inadvertent labor violations union campaigns the dol must created rule real intent assisting organized labor ones stand gain anything said robert cresanti president chief executive officer international franchise association one groups says considering court challenge pushback also expected republicans congress representative john line minnesota chairs house education workforce committee said statement wednesday rule unfair impose disclosure requirements unions politicsnews