IN RE: RHONDA LINK and TOMMY BLITSCH, Protestors.
Protest Decision 2011 ESD 135
Issued: February 23, 2011
OES Case Nos. P-113-020711-GP & P-118-020711-GP
This decision supplements the decision issued in Link & Blitsch, 2011 ESD 125 (February 21, 2011) to address an aspect of the protests not resolved by that decision. The final allegation of those protests alleged that local union secretary-treasurer John Phillipenas impermissibly used "union stationary[1] with local union letterhead to file an election protest against members of the opposing slates. Underneath his signature on such protest it clearly states 'John Phillipenas, Candidate for Delegate, The Empowerment Slate.' The use of Local Union stationary and writing such protest, faxing and/or emailing such protest while on the clock of the Local Union is a clear violation."
In Link & Blitsch,supra, we denied the aspects of the protest that alleged that use of the union fax machine and email facilities as Rules violations. Protestor Blitsch emailed on February 22 to state that the decision did not address use of union stationery.
We DENY this aspect of the protest as well. The use of union funds, facilities and stationery to file or process a protest will constitute proper use of such resources where the protest activity furthers the independent, institutional interest of the union. The union has an institutional interest in insuring that candidates nominated for union office, including delegate and alternate delegate, are eligible for such office under the Rules. Phillipenas' use of union letterhead to transmit the protest is consistent with the institutional interest just stated and therefore does not violate the Rules. We reach this conclusion even though he listed his candidacy and slate affiliation on the protest beneath his signature. Without more, that signature style did not convert a permissible use of union letterhead to an impermissible one.
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
885 Third Avenue, Suite 1000
New York, NY 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, 1801 K Street, N.W., Suite 421 L, Washington, D.C. 20006, 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
2011 ESD 135
DISTRIBUTION LIST (BY EMAIL UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED):
Bradley T. Raymond, General Counsel
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
25 Louisiana Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20001
braymond@teamster.org
David J. Hoffa
Hoffa Keegel 2011
1100 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Ste. 730
Washington, D.C. 20036
hoffadav@hotmail.com
Ken Paff
Teamsters for a Democratic Union
P.O. Box 10128
Detroit, MI 48210-0128
ken@tdu.org
Barbara Harvey
1394 E. Jefferson Avenue
Detroit, MI 48207
blmharvey@sbcglobal.net
Fred Gegare
P.O. Box 9663
Green Bay, WI 54308-9663
kirchmanb@yahoo.com
Scott D. Soldon
3541 N. Summit Avenue
Shorewood, WI 53211
scottsoldon@gmail.com
Fred Zuckerman, President
Teamsters Local Union 89
3813 Taylor Blvd.
Louisville, KY 40215
fredzuckerman@aol.com
Robert M. Colone, Esq.
P.O. Box 272
Sellersburg, IN 47172-0272
rmcolone@hotmail.com
Carl Biers
Box 424, 315 Flatbush Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
info@SandyPope2011.org
Julian Gonzalez
Lewis, Clifton & Nikolaidis, P.C.
350 Seventh Avenue, Suite 1800
New York, NY 10001-5013
jgonzalez@lcnlaw.com
Rhonda Link
POB 3611
407 McCulloch Avenue
Tonopah, NV 89049
link.roni@gmail.com
Tommy Blitsch
10372 Kepler Cascades Street
Las Vegas, NV 89141
lvcubs23@gmail.com
JohnPhillipenas, Secretary-Treasurer
Teamsters Local Union 631
700 North Lamb Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89110
johnp@teamsters631.com
Bruce Boyens
1326 S. Elizabeth St.
Denver, CO 80210
boyensb@aol.com
Mary Ann Campbell
13859 State Road E.
DeSoto, MO 63020
scdennis@aol.com
Maria Ho
Office of the Election Supervisor
1801 K Street, N.W., Suite 421 L
Washington, D.C. 20006
mho@ibtvote.org
Kathryn Naylor
Office of the Election Supervisor
1801 K Street, N.W., Suite 421 L
Washington, D.C. 20006
knaylor@ibtvote.org
Jeffrey Ellison
214 S. Main Street, Ste. 210
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
EllisonEsq@aol.com