State ex rel. Laborers Internatl. Union of N. Am., Local Union No. 500 v. Summerville

**Union Loses Bid for Attorney Fees in Public Records Case** Laborers International Union Local 500 sued the city of Summerville, Ohio, seeking to force the city to release public records. The union also wanted the city to pay their attorney fees for having to file the lawsuit to get these records. The Ohio Supreme Court ruled against the union on the attorney fees issue. The court found that Summerville had actually responded to the union's records request within the required time frame. Additionally, the union could not prove that their lawsuit provided enough public benefit to justify making the city pay their legal costs. While unions can sometimes recover attorney fees when they successfully force government agencies to release public records, the court determined this case didn't meet those standards. This decision matters for workers and unions because it shows that even when seeking public information from government employers, legal costs can add up quickly without guarantee of recovery. Unions and worker organizations need to carefully consider whether they can prove significant public benefit before pursuing these cases, as they may end up paying their own attorney fees even if they ultimately get the records they're seeking.