On December 20, 2017, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with the United Dairy Workers of LeMars (located in LeMars, Iowa), concerning its failure to hold a secret ballot election of officers within the previous three years.  The union agreed to conduct nominations and an election for all officer positions under OLMS supervision.  The supervised election will be completed on or before May 31, 2018.  The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office

On December 12, 2017, the Department entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA), located in Euless, Tex., concerning APFA base officer elections conducted in February 2017.  APFA agreed to conduct the next regularly scheduled APFA base officer elections for all bases, under OLMS supervision, with the nominations process beginning in December 2018.  APFA further agreed that the supervised APFA base officer elections will be conducted by mail ballot, and will be completed on or before February 28, 2019.  The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.

On December 1, 2017, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 3506 (located in Converse, Tex.), concerning its challenged election of officers held on May 20, 2017.  The union agreed to conduct a new election for president and vice president on or before March 30, 2018, under OLMS supervision.  The investigation into the challenged election concluded that the union failed to elect its officers by secret ballot vote and failed to provide adequate safeguards to ensure a fair election.  The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office. 

On November 20, 2017, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 415 (located in Tucson, Ariz.), concerning a July 2017 challenged election of union officers.  Local 415 agreed to hold new nominations and a new election for the position of business agent, and a new election for the positions of training officer, grievance/EEO officer, and member-at-large/PALF delegate.  The investigation concluded that the local improperly qualified a candidate who had not fulfilled the local’s continuous good standing rule.  In addition, the investigation found Local 415 failed to retain the envelopes used by members to return their voted ballots to the local.  The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS Phoenix Resident Investigator Office.

On October 4, 2017, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 909 (located in Warren, Mich.) concerning a May 2017 challenged election of union officers.  Local 909 agreed to hold new nominations, if necessary, and a new election for financial secretary.  The investigation concluded that the local failed to provide a reasonable opportunity to nominate candidates when it rejected the written acceptance of a nominee.  The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office. 

On September 27, 2017, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers Local 22 (located in Rochester, N.Y.), concerning a June 2017 challenged election of union officers.  Local 22 agreed to hold new nominations and a new election for president.  The investigation concluded that the local failed to provide an adequate opportunity for members to nominate.  The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS Boston-Buffalo District Office. 

On September 8, 2017, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with the United Government Security Officers of America (UGSOA) Local 217 (located in Philadelphia, Pa.), concerning its April 1, 2017 election of officers.  The investigation concluded that the union failed to provide adequate safeguards to ensure a fair election and maintain ballot secrecy and improperly denied three members their right to run for office.  Apprised of these findings, the union agreed to conduct a new election, including nominations, for all officer positions within the meaning of section 3(n) of the LMRDA, and the Local 217 Bylaws.  The new election will be completed before February 28, 2018, under OLMS supervision.  The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS Philadelphia-Pittsburgh District Office.  

On September 6, 2017, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 96 (located in St. Louis, Mo.) to conduct new nominations, if necessary, and a new election, for the offices of president, first vice president of professionals, first vice president of non-professionals, and one delegate position.  The investigation of the challenged election disclosed that the local failed to mail notice of the election to some members; failed to mail ballots to certain eligible voters, and denied some members the right to vote when their ballots were not counted.  The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.  

On August 16, 2017, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with the United Power Trades Organization (UPTO), located in West Richland, Wash., concerning a June 2017 challenged election of union officers.  The UPTO agreed to hold a new election for treasurer and Lower Columbia vice president.  The investigation concluded that the union denied some members the opportunity to vote when it used an inaccurate mailing list to send the ballots.  In addition, the investigation established that the UPTO failed to mail ballots to all members and refused to mail a replacement ballot to members who requested one.  The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office. 

On August 15, 2017, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), located in Upper Marlboro, Md., concerning its challenged nomination/election of grand lodge officers that was completed in February 2017.  The union agreed to conduct a new election, including new nominations, for the positions of international president, general secretary-treasurer and seven U.S.-based general vice presidents under OLMS supervision.  The investigation of the challenged nomination/election revealed that the union imposed an unreasonable candidate eligibility requirement that required candidates to be endorsed by 10 percent (approximately 98) of the union’s affiliated local lodges, and that resources of two affiliated district lodges were improperly used to promote incumbent candidates.  In the new OLMS-supervised nomination and election, candidates will be required to be endorsed by 25 of the union’s affiliated local lodges, which had been the union’s requirement prior to 2016.  The new election will be completed by May 20, 2018.  The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office. 

On August 4, 2017, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1336 (located in Kansas City, Mo.) concerning a December 2016 challenged election of union officers.  Local 1336 agreed to hold new nominations and a new election for executive vice president, assistant treasurer, chief steward, vice president (ODAR), vice president (OQR), vice president (OFO), vice president (RO), payment center delegate, and payment center alternate delegate under OLMS supervision.  Local 1336 also agreed to hold the election for national convention delegate as part of the same election.  The investigation concluded that the local failed to provide adequate safeguards to ensure a fair election when it mailed the election notice by bulk mail.  In addition, the investigation established that Local 1336 failed to mail an election notice to all eligible members.  The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS Denver-St. Louis District Office.

On August 1, 2017, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1969 (located in Minneapolis, Minn.), concerning an election of union officers conducted in January 2017.  Local 1969 agreed to conduct new nominations, if necessary, and a new election for the office of president before October 31, 2017, under OLMS supervision.  The investigation concluded that the union denied members the right to vote by failing to mail a ballot package to the last known home address of certain members whose addresses had not been updated by the union.  The investigation also concluded that the union failed to mail a ballot package to one member, failed to mail a duplicate ballot to one member who requested one, and failed to re-mail a ballot package returned as undeliverable even after the member had notified the union of his updated address.  The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS Minneapolis Resident Investigator Office. 

On July 17, 2017, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with Bakery, Confectionary, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers (BCTWGM) Local 53 (located in Rutherford, N.J.) concerning a December 2016 challenged election of union officers.  Local 53 agreed to hold new nominations and a new election for president, vice president, secretary-treasurer, vice chairman, and sergeant-at-arms.  The investigation concluded that the local failed to properly safeguard voted ballots when it stored them in a desk drawer in the union office.  In addition, the investigation established that Local 53 could not account for all the ballots printed for the election and could not identify all the members who were mailed replacement ballots.  The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS New York District Office. 

On July 14, 2017, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 199 (located in Richmond, Va.) concerning a challenged election from April 2017.  The union agreed to conduct new nominations, if necessary, and a new election, for the offices of president, director of industrial relations, and director of safety and health under OLMS supervision.  The investigation disclosed that Local 199 failed to provide adequate safeguards to ensure a fair election when the union treated candidates differently when taking their nomination acceptance forms and prevented otherwise eligible candidates from running for office.  The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office. 

On July 12, 2017, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with the Communication Workers of America (CWA), Local 32035 (located in Washington, D.C.) concerning an election of officers conducted on January 30, 2017.  The union agreed to new nominations, if necessary, and a new election for the offices of president, vice president, and secretary under OLMS supervision.  The investigation of the challenged election disclosed that, due to the local’s failure to adequately safeguard a ballot box at one polling location, the local did not count the votes of members voting at that location.  Consequently, the union denied those members the right to vote.  The union failed to provide for an election by secret ballot vote; and the union failed to follow their constitution and bylaws when selecting the election committee.  The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS Washington District Office. 

On June 7, 2017, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with Machinists Lodge 1414 (located in San Mateo, Calif.), to conduct new nominations, if necessary, and a new election for the offices of president, recording secretary, and eight executive board members on or before September 30, 2017. The investigation established that the union improperly denied an otherwise eligible candidate the right to be nominated and run for the position of recording secretary when it imposed an unwritten requirement that retirees pay full dues for a year prior to nominations. The union had already decided to re-run the president and executive board member races and entered into a voluntary compliance agreement to have OLMS supervise the rerun of the entire election. The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.

On May 9, 2017, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 183 (located in Anchorage, Alaska) concerning an election of officers conducted in November 2016.  The union agreed to OLMS supervision of nominations and election for all Local 183 officer positions.  The investigation of the challenged election disclosed that the local failed to provide a proper notice of nomination and election; failed to provide a reasonable opportunity to nominate; failed to comply with a reasonable request to distribute campaign literature; and failed to provide adequate safeguards to ensure a fair election.  The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS San Francisco-Seattle District Office.

On March 27, 2017, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1045 (located in Biloxi, Miss.) concerning a challenged election in October 2016.  Local 1045 agreed to hold a new election for president and three executive board members.  The investigation concluded that the local failed to resend ballot packages, which had been returned undeliverable to the union’s post office box. In addition, the investigation established that a candidate campaigned on behalf of the incumbent officers to numerous members while they worked.  The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS Dallas-New Orleans District Office.  

On March 5, 2017, OLMS entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Branch 530 (located in Trussville, Ala.), to conduct a new election and installation for the office of Director of Retirees no later than July 31, 2017.  The investigation established that the union improperly denied an otherwise qualified candidate the right to be nominated for the position of Director of Retirees when it implemented an unwritten requirement that nominees submit a written notice of acceptance if not present at the nominations meeting.  The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS Atlanta-Nashville District Office.  

On January 13, 2017, the Department entered into a voluntary compliance agreement with the United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 7777 (located in Detroit, Mich.), concerning an election of union officers conducted in June 2016.  Local 7777 agreed to conduct new nominations, a new election, and installation for the offices of president, vice president, recording secretary, financial secretary, three trustees, guide, sergeant-at-arms, chairperson at each casino, and bargaining member-at-large at each casino.  The new election will be conducted prior to April 14, 2017, under OLMS supervision.  The investigation concluded that the union failed to provide proper notice of election, in that the union failed to make a reasonable attempt to re-send notices returned as undeliverable, did not make reasonable efforts to keep the membership list current, and failed to send notices to members who joined the union since the list was last updated.  The investigation also concluded that the union failed to treat candidates equally with respect to the use of membership lists for the purpose of distributing campaign literature.  The agreement follows an investigation by the OLMS Detroit-Milwaukee District Office.  

Last Updated: 1-16-18