Bill > H2160

This bill establishes legal protections for the confidentiality of communications between labor organizations (unions) and their represented employees. The bill defines key terms, including "employee" as any individual represented by a labor organization and "labor organization" as an entity seeking to represent workers for collective bargaining. The legislation creates a privilege that prevents labor organizations from being compelled to disclose confidential communications received from employees about workplace grievances, with some important exceptions. These exceptions include situations where disclosure is necessary to prevent death or substantial bodily harm, prevent an employee from committing a crime or fraud, obtain legal advice, establish a legal defense, comply with a court order, or when the employee provides consent. The confidentiality protection continues even after the employee's employment or representative relationship ends, though it does not protect the underlying facts from potential disclosure. The bill also prohibits drawing adverse inferences when a labor organization refuses to disclose communications in certain legal proceedings, thereby creating a strong framework for protecting the confidential communications between unions and workers.

Labor and Employment

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H2160