Thanks to efforts by Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao who pushed for higher standards of disclosure, unions’ expenditure records are now accessible online through the Department of Labor at www.union-reports.dol.gov. Unions, like AFL-CIO, adamantly opposed such measures to promote transparency arguing compliance costs would total more than $1 billion. After taking Secretary Chao to court and losing, AFL-CIO’s bill cost only $54,000, half of what the Wall Street Journal notes litigation costs were to fight the new requirements.