CLEVELAND, October 9 — The BLET’s Education and Training Department is inviting newly-elected Secretary-Treasurers to participate in its final Compliance Workshop of 2009, which will be held here from December 13-16.
The meeting will be held at the Hyatt Regency at the Arcade, 420 Superior Ave., Cleveland, Ohio, which is within walking distance of the BLET’s National Division headquarters.
Ken Kroeger, Coordinator of the Education & Training Department, said veteran Secretary-Treasurers are also eligible to attend, but precedence will be given to newly-elected Secretary-Treasurers who were elected by acclamation at the triennial elections.
Members are encouraged to sign up as soon as possible. Class size is limited to 24.
As most STs already know, many changes have been implemented regarding the filing of LM reports this year. 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 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, BLET 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 $116 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 ten 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.
Please make your reservations by November 21, 2009. Requests after the cut-off date will be honored on a space-and-rate-availability basis. You may not be able to obtain the BLET discounted rate.
The class will start at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, December 13, and conclude at noon on Wednesday, December 16.
For more information, please contact Ken Kroeger of the BLE Education & Training Dept. at (216) 272-0986 or kroeger@ble-t.org.