CLEVELAND, January 5 — The BLET’s Education and Training Department will conduct the first Secretary-Treasurer Compliance Workshop of 2009 in Vancouver, Wash., from February 23–26.
The meeting will be held at the Hilton-Vancouver in Washington State (301 W. 6th Street, Vancouver, Wash.). Members will fly into the Portland, Ore. airport.
Members are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible. Registration is on a first come, first served basis and class size is limited to the first 24 who register.
Additional ST Workshops are planned, but will not be scheduled until after the Brotherhood’s triennial elections are completed. Those future workshops will be geared toward the newly-elected STs, and dates and locations of those classes will be announced at a later date.
As most STs already know, many changes have been implemented regarding the filing of LM reports over the past few years. The changes to the LM Report will be explained in class.
Secretary-Treasurers will be shown how to use the BLET National Division’s web-based reporting system. STs use the online system for membership reporting and tax compliance.
During the three-day session, members will learn proper record keeping techniques and minute-taking. They will also learn methods for filing various Department of Labor and Railroad Retirement Board reports, as well as Internal Revenue Service Federal tax returns. A representative from the Department of Labor will be on hand to answer Secretary-Treasurer questions and provide tips regarding the preparation of LM reports.
Presenters will include Bill Walpert, BLET National Secretary-Treasurer; Ken Kroeger, BLET Coordinator of the Education & Training Department and Special Rep; Bob Broka, Director of Records; Dr. Elaine Reese, Director of Compliance; and Walt Schmidt, Director of Online Services.
The BLET National Division pays the costs of books and equipment, while Secretary-Treasurers who attend are responsible for their transportation costs as well as their room and board.
Upon successful completion of the course, attendees will qualify for a $109 per day stipend from the North American Railway Foundation. The stipends will be paid directly to the Division.
The North American Railway Foundation (NARF) 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 10 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.
Secretary-Treasurers must register for the workshop online through the BLET website at: https://www.ble-t.org/st.
Members who register online will receive a confirmation email, which will explain how to book your room. The deadline for room reservations is February 6, 2009. Requests after the cut-off date will be honored on a space- and rate-availability basis, and you may not be able to obtain the BLET discounted rate.
The class will start at 7 p.m. on Monday, February 23, and conclude at noon on Thursday, February 26.
Registration for the February 2009 workshop is on a first come, first served basis with class size limited to the first 24 who register through the BLET website. For more information, please contact Ken Kroeger of the BLE Education & Training Dept. at (216) 272-0986 or kroeger@ble-t.org>.