IN RE: ELIGIBILITY OF ANTHONY GATSON, Local 705.
Protest Decision 2006 ESD 62
Issued: January 31, 2006
OES Case No. E-06-012-012006-HQ
Stephen Pocztowski, member and secretary-treasurer of Local Union 705, filed an eligibility protest pursuant to Article XIII, Section 2(b) of the Rules for the 2005-2006 IBT International Union Delegate and Officer Election ("Rules"). The protest alleged that Anthony Gatson is ineligible for election as delegate to the 2006 IBT Convention.
Election Supervisor representatives Steven R. Newmark and Jeffrey Ellison investigated this protest.
Findings of Fact:
Gatson was nominated for delegate at the nominations meeting held January 14, 2006. The protest alleged that he is ineligible for that position.
Gatson previously held the elected office of local union vice president. His term of office ended December 31, 2003. Upon leaving union office, Gatson returned to work with UPS, his previous employer. Gatson established to our investigator that he resumed employment with UPS in January 2004 and has worked continuously since that time.
However, the local union's dues records show that no dues were posted to Gatson's record in the months of January, February, March and April 2004. Through his existing check-off authorization at UPS, Gatson's dues were brought current by June 2004 and have remained so since that time.
Analysis
Article VI, Section 1 of the Rules, provides that "to be eligible to run for any Convention delegate, alternate delegate or International Officer position, one must: (1) be a member in continuous good standing of the Local Union, with one's dues paid to the Local union for a period of twenty-four (24) consecutive months prior to the month of nomination for said position with no interruptions in active membership due to suspensions, expulsions, withdrawals, transfers or failure to pay fines or assessments; [and] (2) be employed at the craft within the jurisdiction of the Local Union for a period of twenty-four (24) consecutive months prior to the month of nomination."
A member on dues check-off retains his good standing even if his dues were remitted late or not at all, provided he gave a check-off authorization and had sufficient earnings in the month from which dues could have been deducted. IBT Constitution, Article X, Section 5(c); Dunn, E9 (October 31, 1995); Reynozo, 2005 ESD 18 (October 25, 2005); aff'd, 06 EAM 05 (January 4, 2006).
Gatson returned to UPS in the month immediately following expiration of his term of elected office with the local union and earned sufficient wages in that and all subsequent months to fund his monthly dues obligation.
We find that Gatson did not suffer a break in continuous good standing during the 24-month eligibility period. Accordingly, we DENY the protest and find Gatson ELIGIBLE to run for delegate.
Any interested party not satisfied with this determination may request a hearing before the Election Appeals Master within two (2) working days of receipt of this decision. The parties are reminded that, absent extraordinary circumstances, no party may rely upon evidence that was not presented to the Office of the Election Supervisor in any such appeal. Requests for a hearing shall be made in writing, shall specify the basis for the appeal and shall be served upon:
Kenneth Conboy
Election Appeals Master
Latham & Watkins
Suite 1000
885 Third Avenue
New York, New York 10022
Fax: (212) 751-4864
Copies of the request for hearing must be served upon the parties, as well as upon the Election Supervisor for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, 1725 K Street, N.W., Suite 1400, Washington, D.C. 20007-5135, all within the time prescribed above. A copy of the protest must accompany the request for hearing.
Richard W. Mark
Election Supervisor
cc: Kenneth Conboy
2006 ESD 62
DISTRIBUTION LIST (BY EMAIL UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED):
Bradley T. Raymond, General Counsel
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
25 Louisiana Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001-2198
braymond@teamster.org
Sarah Riger, Staff Attorney
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
25 Louisiana Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20001-2198
sriger@teamster.org
David J. Hoffa, Esq.
Hoffa 2006
30300 Northwestern Highway, Suite 324
Farmington Hills, MI 48834
David@hoffapllc.com
Barbara Harvey
645 Griswold Street
Suite 3060
Detroit, MI 48226
blmharvey@sbcglobal.net
Ken Paff
Teamsters for a Democratic Union
P.O. Box 10128
Detroit, MI 48210
ken@tdu.org
Judith Brown Chomsky
P.O. Box 29726
Elkins Park, PA 19027
jchomsky@igc.org
Stephen Ostrach
1863 Pioneer Parkway East, #217
Springfield, OR 97477-3907
saostrach@gmail.com
Stephen Pocztowski, Secretary-Treasurer
IBT Local Union 705
1645 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60612
Anthony Gatson
8518 S. St. Lawrence
Chicago, IL 60619
William Broberg
1108 Fincastle Road
Lexington, KY 40502
wcbroberg@aol.com
Steven R. Newmark
1725 K Street, NW Suite 1400
Washington, DC 20005
snewmark@ibtvote.org
Jeffrey Ellison
510 Highland Avenue, #325
Milford, MI 48381
EllisonEsq@aol.com