IN RE: HECTOR B. ROMERO,
Protest Decision 2001 EAD 140
Issued: February 6, 2001
OEA Case No. PR020215WE
Hector B. Romero, a member of Local 542, filed a pre-election protest pursuant to Article XIII, Section 2(b) of the Rules for the 2000-2001 IBT International Union Delegate and Officer Election ("Rules"). Romero alleges the opposing "Member Serving Member slate" is improperly distributing campaign literature that slanders Romero's "New Spirit 2001 Delegate slate."
We summarily DENY this protest because on its face it fails to state a claim under the Rules. Thus, Romero complains that the challenged campaign literature asserts that the members of the New Spirit 2001 Delegate slate have "little or no experience…" This is a permissible campaign claim, and such rhetoric does not implicate the Rules, whichneither prohibit nor regulate the content of campaign literature. See, e.g., Points, P519 (March 4, 1996); Kulak, P555 (March 13, 1996), aff'd, 96 EAM (April 8, 1996); Pockels, P664 (April 16, 1996).
Any interested party not satisfied with this determination may request a hearing before the Election Appeals Master within two (2) working days of receipt of this decision. The parties are reminded that, absent extraordinary circumstances, no party may rely upon evidence that was not presented to the Office of the Election Administrator in any such appeal. Requests for a hearing shall be made in writing, shall specify the basis for the appeal, and shall be served upon:
Kenneth Conboy
Election Appeals Master
Latham & Watkins
Suite 1000
885 Third Avenue
New York, New York 10022
Fax: 212-751-4864
Copies of the request for hearing must be served upon all other parties, as well as upon the Election Administrator for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, 727 15th Street NW, Tenth Floor, Washington, DC 20005, all within the time period prescribed above. A copy of the protest must accompany the request for hearing.
William A. Wertheimer, Jr.
William A. Wertheimer, Jr.
Election Administrator
cc: Kenneth Conboy
2001 EAD 140
DISTRIBUTION LIST VIA UPS NEXT DAY AIR:
Patrick Szymanski
IBT General Counsel
25 Louisiana Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20001
Bradley T. Raymond
Finkel, Whitefield, Selik,
Raymond, Ferrara & Feldman
32300 Northwestern Highway
Suite 200
Farmington Hills, MI 48334
J. Douglas Korney
Korney & Heldt
30700 Telegraph Road
Suite 1551
Bingham Farms, MI 48025
Barbara Harvey
Penobscot Building
Suite 1800
645 Griswold
Detroit, MI 48226
Betty Grdina
Yablonski, Both & Edelman
Suite 800
1140 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20036
Tom Leedham c/o Stefan Ostrach
110 Mayfair
Eugene, OR 97404
IBT Local 542
4666 Mission Gorge Place
San Diego, CA 92120
New Spirit 2001 Slate
c/o Hector Romero
11173 Socorro Ct.
San Diego, CA 92129
Christine Mrak
2357 Hobart Avenue SW
Seattle, WA 98116
Dolly Gee
Schwartz, Steinsapir, Dohrmann & Sommers
Suite 2000
6300 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90048