Current Issues & News

8/12/2010
Local Union 399 Violates IBT Election Rules

To: All Members of Teamsters Local Union 399

From: The IBT Election Supervisor

The IBT Election Supervisor has found that Local Union 399 violated the IBT Election Rules. 

TO: All Members of Teamsters Local Union 399

FROM: Richard W. Mark, Election Supervisor

          The IBT Election Supervisor has found that Local Union 399 violated the IBT Election Rules by using its publication, NewsReel, to support the candidacy of James P. Hoffa for election as General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

           The Rules for the 2010-2011 IBT International Union Delegate and Officer Election ("Rules") prohibit use of union publications to support or attack the candidacy of any person. Under this rule, a local union may not run photos or articles in its publication that promote or advertise that a member is running for International office or that other members support that candidacy. Local unions cannot take sides in any union election, or give one candidate campaign access to the membership unless it gives the same access to all candidates.

           The May 2010 edition of NewsReel included photos of 3 members wearing campaign stickers with the logo of the Hoffa campaign. The publication of these photos in a union-financed publication improperly used union resources to promote the Hoffa candidacy and gave the improper impression that the local union supported that candidacy.

           The Election Supervisor will not tolerate violation of the Rules. The Election Supervisor has ordered Local Union 399 not to provide support to any candidate for IBT office and to publish this notice in the August 2010 edition of NewsReel and on its website www.ht399.org. To give the same advantage to other candidates for IBT General President that Local Union 399 gave to the Hoffa Campaign, the Election Supervisor has also ordered Local Union 399 to pay the costs of printing and mailing campaign literature to its members for all other candidates for IBT General President.

           The Election Supervisor has issued this decision in Halstead, 2010 ESD 8 (July 26, 2010). You may read this decision at http://www.ibtvote.org/protests/2010/2010esd008.htm.

           Any protest you have regarding your rights under the Rules or any conduct by any person or entity that violates the Rules should be filed with Richard W. Mark, 1801 K Street, N.W., Suite 421L, Washington, D.C. 20006, telephone: 877-317-2011, fax: 202-429-6809, email: electionsupervisor@ibtvote.org.

 Link to Notice: http://www.ht399.org/pdf/electionsupervisornotice.pdf

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