OFFICE OF THE ELECTION SUPERVISOR
for the
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS
) Protest Decision: 2026 ESD 36
IN RE: ELIGIBILITY OF )
) Issued: February 4, 2026
MATHIEU RICCIARDO )
) OES Case No. E-054-010726
)
)
)
INTRODUCTION
Stephen Sorrell filed a pre-election protest pursuant to Article XIII, Section 2(b) of the Rules for the 2025-2026 IBT International Union Delegate and Officer Election (“Rules”) challenging the eligibility of Mathieu Ricciardo to second the nomination of Joseph Lyons to run for delegate in Local 270’s delegate election. He asks that the Election Supervisor disqualify Lyons from running for delegate on this basis.
Ron Webne, a representative of the Office of the Election Supervisor (“OES”), investigated this protest.
FACTUAL FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS
The Local 270 nomination meeting took place on January 5, 2026. During the meeting, Lyons was nominated as delegate, and Ricciardo seconded Lyons’ nomination. Sorrell claims that Ricciardo was not a member in good standing at the time of the nomination meeting and, therefore, was ineligible to second the nomination of Lyons as delegate.
Pursuant to Article II, Section 5(i) of the Rules:
To be eligible for nomination, a member must be nominated and seconded by a member in good standing, each with his/her dues paid through the month prior to the nominations meeting; the member must be eligible to be nominated, pursuant to Article VI of these Rules; and the member must accept his/her nomination at the time made either in person, or, if absent, in writing. If acceptance is made in writing, the document must be presented to the presiding Local Union officer no later than the time the member is nominated.
(emphasis added).
Thus, to be eligible to second Lyons’ nomination, Ricciardo had to have been in good standing on January 5, 2026 with his dues paid through December 2025.
TITAN records through January 23, 2026, show that Ricciardo’s dues for December 2025 were paid on December 19, 2025, and that he was current though December 2025 as of the date of the nomination meeting. There is no record of Ricciardo being on withdrawal or suspension at any time. Ricciardo confirmed that his dues were paid through December 2025 and that he was not on withdrawal or suspension, and that there were no other facts adversely affecting his good standing at that time.
The investigator explained the applicable Rules to Sorrell. He also asked for any additional information concerning Sorrell’s basis for his allegations that Ricciardo was not in good standing and ineligible to second Lyons’ nomination. Sorrell did not have any additional information and did not dispute Ricciardo’s eligibility at that time stating that he withdrew his protest.
There is no evidence that Ricciardo was not eligible at the time he seconded Lyons’ nomination. Moreover, the protestor stated that upon the explanation of Rules, he no longer challenges Ricciardo’s eligibility to second Lyons and withdrew his protest.
Accordingly, we find that Ricciardo was eligible to second the nomination of Joseph Lyons to run for delegate in Local 270 and that this protest is RESOLVED.
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
2026 ESD 36
DISTRIBUTION LIST (BY EMAIL UNLESS NOTED OTHERWISE):
Mathieu Ricciardo
Muriel Pryor
Edward M. Gleason, Jr.,
Richard Hooker
David Suetholz
Will Bloom
Ken Paff
Thomas Kokalas
Timothy S. Hillman
Paul Dever
Ron Webne
Kelly Hogan