CLEVELAND, January 2 — Beginning on February 17, 2014, the BLET Education and Training Department will conduct a workshop for all Secretary-Treasurers who file an LM-2 report for their General Committee of Adjustment (GCA), Division or State Legislative Board. The workshop will be held in San Diego, Calif., February 17-20, 2014.
Each year, labor organizations must file a financial report with the U.S. Department of Labor. The filing requirements are determined by the total annual receipts of the union, and the LM-2 is required for units with $250,000 or more in total annual receipts. The upcoming workshop is generally intended for Secretary-Treasurers from many BLET General Committees of Adjustment and larger Divisions along with some State Legislative Boards.
For all attendees the class will begin at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, February 17. All sessions will conclude at 5 p.m. and the workshop ends on Thursday, February 20. Checkout will be noon on Friday, February 21, when the BLET’s room block rate concludes. Any additional days, before or after, that attendees wish to be in San Diego will need to be booked outside this room block.
During the session, Secretary-Treasurers will review LM-2 reporting, membership reporting, filing requirements, bond requirements, computer applications, and changes for 2014. There will also be a review of methods for filing various Department of Labor and Railroad Retirement reports, as well as Federal tax returns. A representative from the Department of Labor will be on hand to answer questions and offer advice regarding the preparation of LM-2 reports.
Also included in the training will be a segment titled “Tips, Tricks and Traps.” It will feature examples of problem areas on the LM-2 to help filers avoid mistakes and clear up common misunderstandings. Instructors will guide attendees through the LM-2, item-by-item and schedule-by-schedule, to help them understand and avoid the pitfalls of the LM-2.
A special segment of this workshop will focus on the records that must be kept to comply with the new LM-2 form, including itemization of certain expenses as well as estimates of time spent by officers and employees in the five “functional activity” categories.
Other segments will include an overview of the BLET online dues reporting program, a QuickBooks refresher, information on the LM-2 digital signatures, and a session titled “The Seven Deadly Sins of Union Recordkeeping.”
Attendees will work with their actual information and will be working on their own LM-2 report for 2013.
Presenters will include Bill Walpert, BLET National Secretary-Treasurer; Jason Wright, BLET Special Representative and Coordinator of the Education & Training Department; Dr. Elaine Reese, BLET Director of Compliance; and Walt Schmidt, BLET Director of Online Services.
The workshop will be held at the Embassy Suites, San Diego Bay Downtown, 601 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 90101. All attendees are responsible for making their own reservations and travel arrangements to the class. Reservations can be made by calling the Embassy Suites directly at (619) 239-2400. Be sure to mention that you are booking your reservations under the BLET special rate of $199 per night.
Upon successful completion of the course, attendees will qualify for a $129 per day stipend from the North American Railway Foundation (NARF). The stipends will be paid directly to the General Committee, State Legislative Board, or Division.
The North American Railway Foundation (www.narfoundation.org) is a non-profit operating foundation formed by the Brotherhood’s Relief and Compensation Fund (BR&CF) to support rail history, education, safety and technology in the United States and Canada. With initial funding and continued Board of Directors stewardship coming from the BR&CF, NARF has supported many varied non-political projects throughout the United States and Canada over the past 16 years. The primary focus of these efforts has been in support of organized rail labor… giving back to all of the men and women of the railroad community across North America.
Register for the class at www.ble-t.org/gcast.
The BLET pays the costs of books, equipment, and tuition. Secretary-Treasurers who attend are responsible for their transportation costs as well as their room and board.
If you have any questions, please contact Jason Wright of the BLET Education & Training Dept. at (216) 296-4447 or wright@ble-t.org.