< Schedule 15

 

Report the labor organization's direct and indirect disbursements to all entities and individuals during the reporting period associated with political disbursements or contributions in money. Also report the labor organization's direct and indirect disbursements to all entities and individuals during the reporting period associated with dealing with the executive and legislative branches of the Federal, state, and local governments and with independent agencies and staffs to advance the passage or defeat of existing or potential laws or the promulgation or any other action with respect to rules or regulations (including litigation expenses). It does not matter whether the lobbying attempt succeeds.

A political disbursement or contribution is one that is intended to influence the selection, nomination, election, or appointment of anyone to a Federal, state, or local executive, legislative or judicial public office, or office in a political organization, or the election of Presidential or Vice Presidential electors, and support for or opposition to ballot referenda. It does not matter whether the attempt succeeds. Include disbursements for communications with members (or agency fee paying nonmembers) and their families for registration, get-out-the-vote and voter education campaigns, the expenses of establishing, administering and soliciting contributions to union segregated political funds (or PACs), disbursements to political organizations as defined by the IRS in 26 U.S.C. 527, and other political disbursements.

For all major disbursements in this category:

Enter in Column (A) of an itemization Page the full name and business address of the entity or individual to which the disbursement was made. Do not abbreviate the name of the entity or individual. If you do not know and cannot reasonably obtain the full address of the entity or individual, the union may report only the city and state.

Enter in Column (B) the type of business or job classification of the entity or individual to which the union disbursed $5,000 or more for Political Activities and Lobbying during the reporting period, such as campaign advisor, lobbyist, marketing firm, fund raiser, think tank, issue advocacy group, printing company, office supplies vendor, legal counsel, etc.

If additional lines are needed to complete Columns (C) through (E) for this Payee, click the “Add More Disbursements for This Payee” button in Column (A) of the itemization page. The software will add lines to the itemization page in increments of ten.

Enter in Column (C) the purpose of each individual disbursement of $5,000 or more, which means a brief statement or description of the reason the disbursement was made. Examples of adequate descriptions include the following: a registration drive, get-out-the-vote campaign, voter education campaign, fund raising, advocating or opposing legislation (including litigation challenging such legislation) advocating or opposing regulations (including litigation challenging such regulations), etc. The specific campaign, legislation, regulation, referendum, etc. should be identified whenever possible. Distinguish between activities in the United States and activities in foreign countries.

Enter in Column (D) the date that each individual disbursement of $5,000 or more was made. The format for the date must be mm/dd/yyyy. The date of disbursement for reporting purposes is the date the labor organization actually disbursed the money.

Enter in Column (E) the amount of each individual disbursement of $5,000 or more.

Enter the total of all non-itemized disbursements to this payee (that is, all individual disbursements of less than $5,000 each) on the “Total Non-Itemized Transactions with this Payee/Payer” line.

When you have completed entering all of the information for this payee, click the “Save and Calculate” button at the top of the itemization page and the software will add the amounts in Column (E), and enter the sum on the “Total Itemized Transactions with this Payee/Payer” line and complete the “Total of All Transactions with this Payee/Payer for This Schedule” line.

An initial itemization page must be completed for each payee who met the itemization threshold during the reporting period. Only one payee should be reported per page.

To create a new “Political Activities And Lobbying” itemization page for a new payee, click the “Add More Political Activities And Lobbying Activities” button at the top of the page and a new itemization page opens. Follow the instructions above to complete any additional Political Activities And Lobbying itemization pages.

By clicking the "Show Payee" drop down arrow at the top of the Schedule 16 page, you can select and view all of the "Political Activities And Lobbying" itemization pages you have completed.

As you complete each itemization page, click the “Save and Calculate” button at the top of the page and the total itemized transactions will be added to line 1 of Summary Schedule 16 on the Detailed Summary Page and the total non-itemized transactions will be added to Line 2 of the Summary Schedule.

The software enters in Line 3 of Summary Schedule 16 the total of all disbursements to officers allocated to the schedule. This is the sum of the amounts that correspond to the percentages entered in Line (I) of Schedule 11.

The software enters in Line 4 of Summary Schedule 16 the total of all disbursements to employees allocated to the schedule. This is the sum of the amounts that correspond to the percentages entered in Line (I) of Schedule 12.

Enter the total amount of all other transactions relating to this schedule made to other payees during the reporting period on Line 5 of Summary Schedule 16. This is the total from your organization’s books of all transactions relating to this schedule made to payees who did not have a single disbursement of $5,000 or more or transactions that aggregated $5,000 or more.

The software adds Lines 1 through 5 and enters the total on Line 6 of Summary Schedule 16 and in Item 51 (Political Activities and Lobbying) of Statement B.

Last Updated: 6-14-12