OFFICE OF THE ELECTION SUPERVISOR
for the
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS
IN RE: KERR, JACKSON ) Protest Decision 2025 ESD 19
) Issued: Dec. 4, 2025
Protestor. ) OES Case No. P-033-111725-GP
INTRODUCTION
Jackson Kerr, a Business Agent with Local 320 and candidate on the Local 320 Teamster Action slate for 1) delegate in the 2025-2026 International Brotherhood of Teamsters International Union Delegate and Officer Election (“IBT Delegate Election”) and 2) secretary treasurer in Local 320’s officer election (“Local Officer Election”), filed a protest against the Minnesota State University Association of Administrative and Service Faculty (“MSUAASF”) pursuant to Article XIII, Section 2(b) of the Rules for the 2025-2026 International Brotherhood of Teamsters International Union Delegate and Officer Election (“Rules”). Kerr alleged that MSUAASF violated of Article VII, Section 8 of the Rules by posting various posts on its Facebook page urging members to vote for the 320 Teamsters United slate (“320 Teamsters United Slate”), which is opposing his slate in both elections.
Dolores Hall of the Office of the Election Supervisor investigated this protest.
BACKGROUND
The nomination meeting for Local 320’s Local Officer Election and the IBT Delegate Election was held on November 1, 2025. Two slates have been formed at Local 320 for its Local Officer Election and IBT Delegate Election, which are being conducted concurrently. The ballots for the Local Officer Election were mailed on November 7, 2025, with a ballot count scheduled for December 5, 2025. The ballots for the IBT Delegate Election were mailed on December 1, 2025, with a ballot count on December 29, 2025.
The 320 Teamsters United Slate is headed by Skoog and Loahr. Skoog is running for Secretary Treasurer, Loahr is running for President, Gus Froemke is running for Vice President, Marika Olivier is running for Recording Secretary, and Jill Nitke-Scott, Andrea Anderson, and Joe Brown are running as trustees on this slate. All of these individuals were also nominated as candidates on the 320 Teamsters United Slate for the IBT Delegate Election at the nomination meeting on November 1, 2025.
The 320 Teamster Action slate (“320 Teamster Action Slate”) includes Kerr, who is running for Secretary Treasurer, Steve Tesfagiorgis, Mike Moris, Christy O’Connor, Curtis Marquardt, Sergio Garcia, and Bart Dam. All of these individuals, with the exception of Dam, were also nominated as candidates at the nomination meeting as candidates for delegates in the IBT Delegate Election on the 320 Teamster Action Slate.
Kerr pointed to six posts on MSUAASF’s Facebook page that he claims violate the Rules. All of these posts relate specifically to the Local Officer Election. The first post (dated November 13, 2025) is a video demonstrating how to vote in the Local Officer Election. The video clearly relates to the Local Officer Election as it specifically shows the envelop and ballot for the Local Officer Election not the IBT Delegate Election. The post also includes a link to the “Skoog Loahr 320 Teamsters United” Facebook page. Review of this page at the time this protest was filed showed photographs of the ballot for the Local Officer Election and other comments clearly demonstrating a campaign for the Local Officer Election. For example, many of the posts state, “ballots are out.” As mentioned above, only the ballots for the Local Officer Election have been mailed out. Moreover, there is no reference to the IBT Delegate Election whatsoever.
The second post (dated November 12, 2025) Kerr alleges violates the Rules is campaign material that again only references the Local Officer Election. For example, it includes a photograph of the ballot for the Local Officer Election and, again, discusses deadlines consistent only with the Local Officer Election, not the IBT Delegate Election. For example, it provides instructions on what to do if your ballot has not been received by November 14, 2025, notifies viewers that the deadline to request a duplicate ballot is November 21, 2025, and the deadline for all ballots to be received is December 5, 2025.
The third post (dated November 9, 2025) encourages viewers not to forget to vote, provides a link to the “Skoog Loahr 320 Teamsters United” Facebook page, states that ballots should arrive via mail on or around November 10 and provides a number to call if no ballot is received by November 13th. As noted above, at the time of this protest, the “Skoog Loahr 320 Teamsters United” Facebook page showed campaigning for the Local Officer Election only.
The fourth post (dated October 28, 2025) provides a testimonial by a business agent, Katie Jackson, in support of the 320 Teamsters United Slate. The post includes a link to read the full testimonial, which leads the viewer to the 320 Teamsters United Slate website. As discussed in further detail in Skoog, 2025 ESD 15 (Nov. 24, 2025), before and at the time the protest was filed, the 320 Teamsters United Slate website was specifically directed towards the Local Officer Election. Additionally, this post also includes a link to the “Skoog Loahr 320 Teamsters United” Facebook page.
The fifth post (dated October 28, 2025) states that ballots are being mailed beginning of November, that MSUAASF endorses the 320 Teamsters United Slate, encourages the viewer to vote, and incorporates a link to the “Skoog Loahr 320 Teamsters United” Facebook page and 320 Teamsters United Slate website.
The sixth post (dated October 15, 2025) states that “after listening sessions with both slates” the MSUAASF board voted to endorse the 320 Teamsters United Slate. Like the other posts, it also includes a link to both the “Skoog Loahr 320 Teamsters United” Facebook page and 320 Teamsters United Slate website. As discussed in detail in Skoog, 2025 ESD 15 (Nov. 24, 2025), we determined that, based on credible witness statements (including an acknowledgement by Kerr), only the Local Officer Election was discussed during each of their meetings with the MSUAASF Board on October 10th and that no discussion about the IBT Delegate Election occurred.
ANALYSIS
The Election Supervisor has authority to conduct and supervise the election of delegates to the International Convention, the nomination of candidates for International office at the Convention and the election of International officers but has no jurisdiction over matters not related to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters International Union Delegate and Officer Election. Rules, Art. I; Art. II, Section 1; see also Darsey, P-276-LU528-SEC (Jan. 24, 1991); Meyers, P-493-LU999-PNJ (April 4, 1996); Webb & Thomas, 2010 ESD 56 (Dec. 13, 2010).
As set forth above, there is no evidence that the posts referenced or directly related to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters International Union Delegate and Officer Election. The investigator informed Kerr that all of the evidence available showed that the conduct at issue related specifically to the Local Officer Election and asked him to provide any additional information he had to demonstrate otherwise. Kerr’s position is that because the slate name MSUAASF references is the same for the IBT Delegate Election and the Local Officer Election, members are not able to differentiate the elections. As set forth in detail in Skoog, 2025 ESD 15 (Nov. 24, 2025), to exercise authority over conduct clearly and directly linked only to the local officer elections—which the Election Supervisor does not have authority over—simply because the delegate election is occurring concurrently directly conflicts with the Rules and prior precedent and would improperly and significantly broaden the Election Supervisor’s authority.
All of the evidence, including, but not limited to, the specific postings Kerr raised in his protest is directly linked to the Local Officer Election only. All of the ballots and deadlines relate specifically to the Local Officer Election. As discussed above, the ballots for the Local Officer Election were mailed early November with a ballot count on December 5th but, the ballots for the IBT Delegate Election were not mailed until December 1st (after the protest was filed) with a ballot count on December 29, 2025. All of the referenced deadlines in the Facebook posts clearly refer to the Local Officer Election, not the IBT Delegate Election. Additionally, the 320 Teamsters United Slate website and Facebook page linked in some of these posts at the time of the protest were clearly focused on the Local Officer Election. See also Skoog, 2025 ESD 15 (Nov. 24, 2025) (discussing in detail how both slates were campaigning for the Local Officer Election only during the relevant time period).
There is no reference to the IBT Delegate Election in any of these posts and the protestor has not provided any evidence showing that protests arise out of conduct directly connected to Skoog, Kerr, or their respective slates campaigning for the IBT Delegate Election. Contrast Bethel, 2025 EAM 1 (May 22, 2025) (holding that the protestor was “clearly campaigning” for both the local officer election and the delegate election where, the facts showed that in addition to being a candidate in both elections, the slate’s campaign literature referenced elections in 2026 and 2027 (aka the delegate election and local union officer election) and the petitions circulated during the campaign activity that was the subject of the protest specifically stated, “By signing this document, I support the Bethel Unity Slate for the 2026 IBT Local Delegates and the 2027 Teamsters Local 31 elections”) (emphasis added). Based on all of the evidence, we find that the campaign activity at issue here related to the Local Officer Election only.
For these reasons, we DENY this protest.
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. Any party requesting a hearing must comply with the requirements of Article XIII, Section 2(i). All parties are reminded that, absent extraordinary circumstances, no party may rely in any such appeal upon evidence that was not presented to the Office of the Election Supervisor. Requests for a hearing shall be made in writing, shall specify the basis for the appeal, and shall be served upon:
Election Appeals Master
Barbara Jones
Election Appeals Master
IBTappealsmaster@bracewell.com
Copies of the request for hearing must be served upon the parties, as well as upon the Election Supervisor for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. Service may be accomplished by email, using the “reply all” function on the email by which the party received this decision. A copy of the protest must accompany the request for hearing. A copy of the protest must accompany the request for hearing.
Timothy S. Hillman
Election Supervisor
cc: Barbara Jones, IBTappealsmaster@bracewell.com
2025 ESD 19
DISTRIBUTION LIST (BY EMAIL UNLESS NOTED OTHERWISE):
Tyler Treptow-Bowman
Edward M. Gleason, Jr.,
David Suetholz
Will Bloom
Ken Paff
Thomas Kokalas
Timothy S. Hillman
Paul Dever
Jim Devine
Kelly Hogan