U.S. Department of Labor
Employment Standards Administration
Office of Labor-Management Standards
New York District Office
201 Varick Street
Room 878
New York, NY 10014
(646)264-3190 Fax: (646)264-3191
March 20, 2009
Mr. Charles Shimkus, President
United Service Workers Union
Local 339
138-50 Queens Blvd
Briarwood, NY 11435
LM File Number 537-321
Case Number: |||||||| |||
Dear Mr. Shimkus:
This office has recently completed an audit of United Service Workers Union (USWU) Local 339 under the Compliance Audit Program (CAP) to determine your organization’s compliance with the provisions of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (LMRDA). The CAP examined Local 339’s records for the organization’s fiscal year 2006, from October 1, 2005 through September 30, 2006. The CAP, which is limited in scope, disclosed the following information:
According to Local 339, the local is considered a “core” local of the USWU. As a “core” local, all dues and revenue from Local 339 go directly to the USWU. The USWU pays all bills on behalf of Local 339. Local 339 does not control any finances.
Local 339 files an LM-4 report (LM# 537-321). The USWU files an LM-2 report (LM# 529-203).
For the audit period of 2006:
According to a report provided by Local 339 titled “Dues and Initiation Fees Collected by USWU On Behalf of Local 339 Year Ending 9/30/2006”, the USWU collected approximately $696,000 in revenue on behalf of Local 339.
According to a report provided by Local 339 titled “Expenses Paid by USWU On Behalf of Local 339 Year Ending 9/30/2006”, the USWU disbursed approximately $7,908 on behalf of Local 339 for the purposes of meetings, arbitration expenses and lost time. According to the report, USWU incurred expenses for 7 arbitration cases of Local 339 members. According to Local 339, the USWU pays other expenses on behalf of the “core” locals but does not track those expenses by local.
According to Local 339, the local had approximately 1,300 members in 2006.
According to Local 339, the organization’s officers do not receive a salary from their position in Local 339. A chart provided by Local 339 titled “All Positions Held by USWU, Local 339, IUJAT Officers in Related Organizations”, the following Local 339 officers received a salary from their position(s) in organizations related to the USWU and/or International Union of Journeymen and Allied Trades (IUJAT):
Charles Shimkus $214,776
Edward Byrne $459,946
Troy Anderson $215,057
Sean Cullinan $214,829
I want to extend my personal appreciation to Local 339 for the cooperation and courtesy extended during this compliance audit. I strongly recommend that you make sure this letter and the compliance assistance materials provided to you are passed on to future officers. If we can provide any additional assistance, please do not hesitate to call.
Sincerely,
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Supervisory Investigator
cc: Richard Greenspan, Attorney
Edward Byrne, Treasurer