Unions are required every year to file financial disclosure forms with the Labor Department within three months of the end of their financial year.

However, officials from the Employment Standards Administrations Office of Labor Management say at least 30 percent of the labor organizations are late with the required forms.

That is not the case with the UTU International; it has complied with the regulations and all filings are up to date.

A handful of locals and general committees, however, have not yet filed their financial form for 2006. The International has notified these delinquent locals of their need to comply with the regulations.

"In light of this Labor Department warning, we strongly urge these locals and general committees to file their reports with the DOL as soon as possible," General Secretary and Treasurer Dan Johnson said.

Approximately 1,274 unions are more than a year late in filing, the DOL said.

Those unions will get a warning letter, and if they don't file their paperwork or give a good reason why they haven't within a month, Labor Department officials plan to make the unions' names public at http://www.unionreports.dol.gov  and then refer the case to the local U.S. attorney for civil or criminal prosecution.

"This new delinquency program is just another step to protect transparency for America's workers," said Don Todd, deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Labor Management.

The Labor Department enforcement is a part of a government effort in recent years to make union finances more accessible to the public.

Reporting rules require national, regional and local unions with an income of more than $250,000 to provide financial details in the annual reports they must file with the Labor Department.