U.S. Department of Labor
Office of Labor-Management Standards
Charlotte Remote Worksite
PO Box 79303
Charlotte, NC 28271
(704) 849-8653
June 23, 2010
Mr. Robert Vess, President
Transportation Union Ind Local 782
35 Choo Choo Lane
Asheville, NC 28806-8700
Case Number: ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
LM Number: 006045
Dear Mr. Vess:
This office has recently completed an audit of Transportation Union Ind Local 782 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). As discussed during the exit interview with Secretary Treasurer Robert Quarterman and you on June 18, 2010, the following problems were disclosed during the CAP. The matters listed below are not an exhaustive list of all possible problem areas since the audit conducted was limited in scope.
Recordkeeping Violations
Title II of the LMRDA establishes certain reporting and recordkeeping requirements. Section 206 requires, among other things, that labor organizations maintain adequate records for at least five years by which each receipt and disbursement of funds, as well as all account balances, can be verified, explained, and clarified. As a general rule, labor organizations must maintain all records used or received in the course of union business.
For disbursements, this includes not only original bills, invoices, receipts, vouchers, and applicable resolutions, but also documentation showing the nature of the union business requiring the disbursement, the goods or services received, and the identity of the recipient(s) of the goods or services. In most instances, this documentation requirement can be satisfied with a sufficiently descriptive expense receipt or invoice. If an expense receipt is not sufficiently descriptive, a union officer or employee should write a note on it providing the additional information. For money it receives, the labor organization must keep at least one record showing the date, amount, purpose, and source of that money. The labor organization must also retain bank records for all accounts.
The audit of Local 782’s 2009 records revealed the following recordkeeping violations:
1. Failure to Record Receipts
Local 782 did not record in its receipts records interest earned on the high performance money market account totaling at least $820. Union receipts records must include an adequate identification of all money the union receives. The records should show the date and amount received, and the source of the money.
2. Lack of Salary Authorization
Local 782 did not maintain records to verify that the salaries reported in Item 24 (All Officer and Disbursements to Officers) of the LM-3 was the authorized amount and therefore was correctly reported. The union must keep a record, such as meeting minutes, to show the current salary authorized by the entity or individual in the union with the authority to establish salaries.
3. Information not Recorded in Meeting Minutes
During the audit, you advised OLMS that funds transfers from the high performance money market account to the business checking account be authorized by the membership. However, the minutes of the meeting do not contain any reference to the approval of the $25,000 transferred in March 2009. Minutes of all membership or executive board meetings must report any funds transfer or disbursement authorizations made at those meetings.
Based on your assurance that Local 782 will retain adequate documentation in the future, OLMS will take no further enforcement action at this time regarding the above violations.
Reporting Violations
The audit disclosed a violation of LMRDA Section 201(b), which requires labor organizations to file annual financial reports accurately disclosing their financial condition and operations. The Labor Organization Annual Report LM-3 filed by Local 782 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2009, was deficient in that:
Disbursements to Officers (LM-3)
Local 782 did not include some reimbursements to officers totaling at least $407.50 in the amounts reported Item 24 (All Officers and Disbursements to Officers). It appears the union erroneously reported these payments in Item 48 (Office and Administrative Expense).
The union must report most direct disbursements to Local 782 officers and some indirect disbursements made on behalf of its officers in Item 24. A "direct disbursement" to an officer is a payment made to an officer in the form of cash, property, goods, services, or other things of value. See the instructions for Item 24 for a discussion of certain direct disbursements to officers that do not have to be reported in Item 24. An "indirect disbursement" to an officer is a payment to another party (including a credit card company) for cash, property, goods, services, or other things of value received by or on behalf of an officer. However, indirect disbursements for temporary lodging (such as a union check issued to a hotel) or for transportation by a public carrier (such as an airline) for an officer traveling on union business should be reported in Item 48 (Office and Administrative Expense).
I am not requiring that Local 782 file an amended LM-3 report for 2009 to correct the deficient items, but Local 782 has agreed to properly report the deficient items on all future reports it files with OLMS.
I want to extend my personal appreciation to Transportation Union Ind Local 782 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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Senior Investigator
cc: Mr. Robert Quarterman, Secretary Treasurer