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CWA Strategic Research Manual
Government Regulation and Information
| Federal Agencies Which Regulate Certain Industries |
The company you are interested in may be regulated by a government agency, or it may get financing from or have other business connections with companies which are regulated.
You may be able to get information from the appropriate regulatory agencies about the company or its business associates.
For example, the Federal Communications Commission [www.fcc.gov] requires annual reports from telephone, radio, and TV companies and the Federal Aviation Administration [www.faa.gov] requires regular reporting by airlines.
State utility commissions regulate local telephone, cable TV, and other utilities. A list of state commissions is available online [http://www.naruc.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=15].
| Government Contracts and Subsidies |
You may want to find out whether a company has received any contracts or subsidies from the government.
Government records of these dealings may tell you something about the company's operations or finances and may include other material which could be used in a campaign. For example, you might be able to enlist a friendly member of Congress who helps oversee a particular agency to let the company know that a contractor with that agency should be expected to treat its workers fairly.
Among the federal agencies which give the most contracts to private firms are the Defense Department, General Services Administration (which builds and supplies many government buildings), the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Transportation.
If an employer may be getting money from a government program such as the Small Business Administration, you can get documents showing what the company received and what it promised to do with the money.
If you think a company has contracts or subsidies from a state or local agency, contact the agency directly and ask to see the files. The files should be open to the public.
One useful source of financial information may be bids submitted by the company in order to win a contract.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Labor Department [www.bls.gov] publishes national and regional surveys of wages and hours in particular industries. These allow you to com-pare wages an employer pays with those paid by other firms in the same business or by firms in other types of industries.
| Pension and Welfare Fund Reports |
You can obtain the reports employers are required to file with the U.S. Department of Labor (Pension and Welfare Benefits Programs) showing the details of pension, profit-sharing, life insurance, and health benefits provided to employees (Forms 5500, 5500-C, or 5500-K, depending on the size of the company.) Many of these forms are available from freeERISA.com [www.freeERISA.com].
You can then compare these plans with typical plans in CWA contracts, and you can analyze current plans to see if employees are being taken advantage of.
Records at city hall or the county courthouse can help you find out how much property an employer owns, taxes paid and owed, and profits made from property sales.
This information can usually be obtained from the records of deeds, mortgages, and tax assessments.
Local records also show whether an employer has benefited from industrial development bonds or taxpayer subsidies. You can use that information to show workers that a company is taking advantage of the community without reciprocating by treating its employees fairly.
Record keeping procedures vary from town to town. Ask the appropriate local officials for help.
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Labor Relations History
