U.S. Department of Labor
Employment Standards Administration
Office of Labor-Management Standards
Boston District Office
Room E365
JFK Federal Building
Boston, MA 02203
(617) 624-6690 Fax:(617) 624-6606

October 7, 2009
Mr. David Silva, President
Postal Workers Local 4930
P.O. Box 801
South Dennis, MA 02660

LM File Number: 071-590
Case Number: ||||||||||

Dear Mr. Silva:

This office has recently completed an audit of Postal Workers Local 4930 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 on September 30, 2009, 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 Postal Workers Local 4930’s 2008 records revealed the following recordkeeping violations:

1. General and Credit Card Expenses

Local 4930 did not retain adequate documentation for expenses incurred by the local totaling at least $2,978.14. For example, the local did not have receipts for $2,624 paid for food, band, and hall rental for the June clam bake social. As previously 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 4930’s 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. Local 4930 had disbursements for food/meals totaling approximately $243.97 for which the receipts were not documented with the names of members participating in the meal or the union purpose for the expense. Union records of meal expenses must include written explanation 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 4930 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 LM-3 filed by Local 4930 for fiscal year ending December 31, 2008, was deficient in the following areas:

1. Disbursements To Officers

Local 4930 did not include some salary and reimbursements to officers totaling at least $2,277 in the amounts reported in Items 24 D and E (All Officers and
Disbursements to Officers). It appears the union erroneously reported the allowance and reimbursement payments in Item 54 (Other Disbursements). The
January 2008 officer salary payments were not accounted for on the LM-3 as they were erroneously documented as being disbursed in December 2007.
The union must report most direct disbursements to Local 4930 officers and some disbursements made on behalf of its officers in Item 24. A "direct disbursement" to an officer is a payment made to an officer in the form of cash, property, goods, services, or other things of value. See the instructions for Item 24 for a discussion of certain direct disbursements to officers that do not have to be reported in Item 24. An "indirect disbursement" to an officer is a payment to another party (including a credit card company) for cash, property, goods, services, or other things of value received by or on behalf of an officer. However, indirect disbursements for temporary lodging (such as a union check issued to a hotel) or for transportation by a public carrier (such as an airline) for an officer traveling on union business should be reported in Item 48 (Office and Administrative Expense).

2. Cash Receipts

The total cash receipts reported in Item 44 (Total Receipts) is not the total cash receipts for the audit year according to the union’s books and the union’s bank statements. The union reported a total of $23,768 on the LM-3, however, the records show the union had $23,987 in cash receipts for the audit year.

3. Cash Reconciliation

It appears that the cash figures reported in Item 25 are not the cash figures according to the union’s books after reconciliation to the bank statements. The
instructions for Item 25 state that the union should obtain account balances from its books as reconciled to the balances on bank statements.

Local 4930 must file an amended Form LM-3 for fiscal year ending December 31, 2008, to correct the deficient items discussed above. I provided you with a blank form and instructions, and advised you that the reporting forms and instructions are available on the OLMS website (www.olms.dol.gov). The amended Form LM-3 should be submitted to this office at the above address as soon as possible, but not later than October 30, 2009. Before filing, review the report thoroughly to be sure it is complete, accurate, and signed properly with original signatures.

I want to extend my personal appreciation to Postal Workers Local 4930 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,
Mark Letizi
District Director
CC: Mr. Robert Baker, Treasurer