OFFICE OF THE ELECTION SUPERVISOR
for the
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS
IN RE: RINGLER, THOMAS ) Protest Decision 2025 ESD 20
)
) Issued: Dec. 9, 2025
)
Protestor. ) OES Case No. P-035-112025-SO;
) P-037-112225-SO; P-038-112225-SO;
) P-039-112225-SO
)
BACKGROUND
Within two days, Thomas, Ringler, Justin Higgins, Parker Brown, and Allahverdi, “Alex,” Askerov, candidates or supporters of the Proud Members slate in Local 480’s officer election, filed protests against Leonard Hughes and Patrick Byrd with similar allegations. All of the subject campaign activity and conduct related thereto arose solely in the context of Local 480’s officer election.
Thomas Ringler,[1] a candidate on the Proud Members slate in Local 480’s officer election (the “Local Officer Election”) filed a protest against Leonard Hughes, President-Elect, and Patrick Byrd, Recording Secretary-Elect, who ran on the Thunder and Lightning slate. Ringler alleges that a steward “aligned with” the Thunder and Lighting slate made negative remarks and false accusations about Ringler and others on the Proud Members slate accusing them of stealing a truck and intimidating members. Ringler believes that this conduct was because he ran on the Proud Members slate in opposition to the Thunder and Lighting slate in the Local Officer Election.
Justin Higgins, a supporter of the Proud Members slate, filed a protest against Hughes and Byrd alleging that they took inappropriate, false and retaliatory action against him “during the Local 480 election campaign cycle.” Specifically, he alleges that after the Local Officer Election results, Hughes and Byrd sent him a text message accusing him of being involved with the theft of a truck and threatened to initiate civil, criminal and/or internal union charges against him. Higgins believes that Hughes and Byrd took these actions against him because Higgins publicly supported the Proud Members slate in the Local Officer Election.
Parker Brown, also a supporter of the Proud Members slate, filed a protest against Hughes and Byrd alleging that they spread false accusations against him and other Proud Members during the Local Officer Election. He did not provide specific information about the substance of the accusations in his protest.
Allahverdi (“Alex”) Askerov, supporter of the Proud Members slate, filed a protest against Hughes alleging that he made false accusations that Askerov and other Proud Members stole a truck during the Local Officer Election. Askerov stated that because of the spread of false accusations, his coworkers have made intimidating and hostile comments to him.
Byrd acknowledges that “things got ugly” during the Local Officer Election. Hughes and Byrd intend to run in the election of delegates to the convention for the 2025-2026 International Brotherhood of Teamsters International Union Delegate and Officer Election. However, Hughes stated that they have not been nominated yet and have not been involved in “any campaigning efforts whatsoever” concerning the delegate election.
All of these protests were filed 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”). Felicia Hardesty of the Office of the Election Supervisor investigated these protests. Ringler, Higgins, Brown, Askerov, James Curbeam, Hughes, and Byrd were interviewed.
ANALYSIS
The Election Supervisor’s authority is limited to the supervision of the election of delegates to the International Convention, the nomination of candidates for International office at the Convention, and the election of International officers. See Article I of the Rules (stating that the Election Supervisor’s authority to supervise the electoral process “is limited to the nomination and election of International Convention delegates and alternate delegates and the nomination and election of International Officers. These Rules are not applicable to elections of IBT subordinate body officers.”); see also Brady 2021 ESD 55, affirmed by 2021 EAM 10 (“The Election Supervisor enforces the Election Rules, which govern nomination and election of delegates and alternate delegates to the IBT convention, and nomination and election of International officers.”). The Election Supervisor does not have jurisdiction over local union elections. See Darsey, P-276-LU528-SEC (Jan. 24, 1991) (the Election Officer has no jurisdiction over matters unrelated to the IBT International Union delegate and officer election.”); see also Jordan, 2001 EAD 76 (January 3, 2001); Collett, 2000 EAD 66 (December 19, 2000); Hale, 2000 EAD 61 (December 12, 2000); Weronke, P867 (August 19, 1996); Bishop, 2011 ESD 112 (February 14, 2011).
The Local 480’s Local Officer Election was on November 7, 2025. Pursuant to Local 480’s Local Union Election Plan (“LUEP”), the meeting to nominate candidates for delegate and alternate delegates to the International convention is scheduled for February 21, 2026, and the ballot count is April 23, 2026. All witnesses interviewed acknowledged that the conduct and allegations giving rise to these protests relate to the Local Officer Election only and that, at no time, was the International Brotherhood of Teamsters 2026 International Union Delegate and Officer Election mentioned. In fact, Hughs and Byrd both stated that they intend to run in the delegate election but have not yet started campaigning. These statements are consistent with the schedule for the delegate election as the nomination meeting is not until February 21, 2026—over two months from now—and the ballot count is not until April 23, 2025—more than four months from now.
These protests arise out of conduct solely related to the Local Officer Election and there is no evidence of any nexus between the conduct alleged herein and the delegate election. Accordingly, we DENY these protests.
APPELLATE RIGHTS
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 20
DISTRIBUTION LIST (BY EMAIL UNLESS NOTED OTHERWISE):
Thomas Ringler
thomasringler12@gmail.com
James Curb Curbeam
Teamcurb48@gmail.com
Justin Higgins
higginsjustin241@gmail.com
Parker Brown
parkerrb13.kewl@gmail.com
Allahverdi Alex Askerov
AFA999@aol.com
Leonard Hughes
lenhughes@tlu480.com
Patrick Byrd
patrickbyrd@tlu480.com
Edward M. Gleason, Jr.,
ed@hsglawgroup.com
Richard Hooker
hookabrasi@gmail.com
David Suetholz
Will Bloom
Ken Paff
Thomas Kokalas
Timothy S. Hillman
Paul Dever
Felicia Hardesty
fhardesty@ibtvote.org
Kelly Hogan
kelly.hogan@nelsonmullins.com
[1] James Curbeam, candidate on the Proud Members slate, was also listed on the protest form as an additional person filing the protest as with Ringler.