An important feature of the National Labor Relations Act is the requirement that an employer furnish the union information. The obligation comes from the duty to bargain in good faith. A refusal to provide information needed to administer the collective bargaining agreement, or an unreasonable delay in responding to a union request, violates section 8(a)(5) of the act.

The right to information arises at several stages.

Unions can make requests to: Police the contract, Investigate a member complaint, Prepare for a grievance, Decide whether to move a grievance to a higher step, or if needed for mid-term bargaining.

Below are requests that the union can make.  

Accident reports - Air quality studies - Attendance records 

Bargaining notes - Bid applications - Bills of lading 

Bonus records - Consultants’ reports-

Correspondence between employers and outside entities such as government agencies and workers' compensation carriers.

Correspondence between management and supervisors

Customer complaints - Customer lists - Disbursement records

Disciplinary records - EEO reports - Employee evaluations

Environmental audits - Equipment specifications - First report of injury forms

Handwriting analysis - Health and Safety audits - Injury reports 

Inspection reports - Insurance policies - Internal memos and policies

Interview notes - Investigative reports - Investigatory files 

Job assignment records - Job descriptions - Laboratory reports

Leave requests - Manuals - Material Safety Data Sheets

Memorandums prepared after meetings with employees - Merger agreements

Minutes of employer meeting - OSHA logs - Payroll records

Pension contribution records - Personnel files - Photographs

Piece-rate records - Policy documents - Prior grievances and arbitration awards

Sale of enterprise documents - Schedules - Security guard reports

Seniority lists - Supervisor’s notes - Studies - Test results 

Time cards - Time-study records - Training manuals

Video surveillance tapes - Wage and salary records - Work rules