Three members of the Dallas area local of the American Postal Workers Union asked the Secretary of Labor to set aside a union election, pursuant to Section 401(e) and Section 402(b) of the LMRDA. The members challenged the validity of a provision of the union constitution that required candidates for any union office to have attended 12 regular union meetings within the 24 months prior to election in order to be eligible for nomination to any union office.
This provision rendered 2,544 (97.85 percent) of the union's 2,600 members ineligible for nomination because they did not comply with the meeting attendance requirement.
The union insisted that its requirement was a reasonable qualification for candidacy under Section 401(e), as it guaranteed an informed union leadership and encouraged attendance at meetings.
Should the election be set aside? Explain your decision. [Donovan v. Postal Workers, Dallas Local, 110 LRRM 2510 (N.D. Tex)]