CLEVELAND, October 24 — Limited space is still available for the BLET Education and Training Department’s final Secretary-Treasurer Compliance Workshop of 2008, which will be held here in Cleveland from December 14-17.
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.
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 20 who register.
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 $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 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 25, 2008. 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 7 p.m. on Sunday, December 14, and conclude at noon on Wednesday, December 17.
Registration for the December 2008 workshop is on a first come, first served basis with class size limited to the first 20 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.