U.S. Department of Labor San Francisco – Seattle District Office
Office of Labor-Management Standards
90 7th Street, Suite 2-825
San Francisco, CA 94103
OFFICE: (415) 625-2661 / FAX: (415) 625-2662
300 5th Avenue, Suite 1290
Seattle, WA 98104
OFFICE: (206) 398-8099 / FAX: (206) 398-8090
April 17, 2015
Ms. Renia Hudson, Treasurer
CWA Local 9415
1831 Park Blvd
Oakland, CA 94606
Case Number: 530-6000721()
LM Number: 038053
Dear Ms. Hudson:
This office has recently completed an audit of CWA Local 9415 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 you and President Sally Veneble on June 25, 2014, 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 9415’s 2013 records revealed the following recordkeeping violations:
Lack of Salary Authorization
Local 9415 did not maintain records to verify that the salaries reported in Schedules 11 (All Officers and Disbursements to Officers) and 12 (Disbursements to Employees) of the LM-2 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.
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 (Form LM-2) filed by Local 9415 for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2014, was deficient in that he audit disclosed a violation of LMRDA Section 201(a), which requires that a union submit a copy of its revised constitution and bylaws with its LM report when it makes changes to its constitution or bylaws. Local 9415 has now filed a copy of its constitution and bylaws.
I want to extend my personal appreciation to CWA Local 9415 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,
Investigator