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U.S. Department of Labor Employment Standards Administration
Office of Labor-Management Standards
Cincinnati District Office
36 E 7th Street, Suite 2550
Cincinnati, OH 45202
(513)684-6840 Fax: (513)684-6845
September 19, 2008
Mr. Brian Buhle, Secretary-Treasurer
Teamsters, Ind.
Local 135
1233 Shelby St.
Indianapolis, IN 46203
Dear Mr. Buhle:
This office has recently completed an audit of Teamsters Local 135 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 Danny Barton, Brian Buhle, Ed
Fillenwarth, and Dennis Reeves on August 25,2008, 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 135's 2007 records revealed the following recordkeeping violations:
1. General Reimbursed and Credit Card Expenses
Local 135 did not retain adequate documentation for reimbursed expenses and
credit card expenses incurred by union officers and employees totaling at least
$1,363.18. For example, three hotel bills involving a union conference and two
restaurant receipts were unavailable for review.
As noted above, labor organizations must retain original receipts, bills, and
vouchers for all disbursements. The president and treasurer (or corresponding
principal officers) of your union, who are required to sign your union's LM
report, are responsible for properly maintaining union records.
2. Meal Expenses
Local 135 records of meal expenses did not always include written explanations
of union business conducted or the names and titles of the persons incurring the
restaurant charges. For example, inadequate information was maintained
regarding meal charges on two hotel bills. Union records of meal expenses must
include written explanations of the union business conducted and the full names
and titles of all persons who incurred the restaurant charges. Also, the records
retained must identify the names of the restaurants where the officers or
employees incurred meal expenses.
Based on your assurance that Local 135 will retain adequate documentation in the
future, OLMS will take no further enforcement action at this time regarding the above
violations.
Reporting Violation
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 135 for the fiscal year ending December 31,2007 was deficient in that the local did
not disclose the trade-in of a vehicle in Items 15 and 69.
Local 135 must file an amended Form LM-2 for fiscal year ending December 31,2007 to
correct the deficient items discussed above. I explained to you the filing procedures
and the availability of filing software on the OLMS website (www.olms.dol-. ~ov)T. he
amended Form LM-2 must be electronically filed as soon as possible, but not later than
October 15,2008. Before filing, review the report thoroughly to be sure it is complete
and accurate, and properly signed with electronic signatures.
I want to extend my personal appreciation to Teamsters Local 135 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,
Senior Investigator
cc: Danny Barton, President
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