U.S. Department of Labor

Office of Labor-Management Standards
Seattle District Office
1111 Third Avenue, Suite 605
Seattle, WA 98101
(206) 398-8099 Fax: (206) 398-8090






October 5, 2011



Mr. Mathew C. Froehlich, Financial Secretary
AWPPW LU 817
16118 126th Ave SE
Renton, WA 98058-5562
Case Number:
LM Number: 061846


Dear Mr. Froehlich:

This office has recently completed an audit of AWPPW LU 817 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 28, 2011, 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 817’s 2010 records revealed the following recordkeeping violation:

Lost Wages

Local 817 did not retain adequate documentation for lost wage reimbursement payments to union officers totaling at least $1,000. The union must maintain records in support of lost wage claims that identify each date lost wages were incurred, the number of hours lost on each date, the applicable rate of pay, and a description of the union business conducted. The OLMS audit found that Local 817 retained vouchers that identified lost time was paid to union officers but the vouchers were incomplete and did not include a description of the union business conducted or the dates of the lost time.

Based on your assurance that Local 817 will retain adequate documentation in the future, OLMS will take no further enforcement action at this time regarding the above violations.

I want to extend my personal appreciation to AWPPW LU 817 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,


Investigator


cc: Mr. Christopher W. Fine, President