Reynoso, 2025 ESD 16
OFFICE OF THE ELECTION SUPERVISOR
for the
INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS
IN RE: REYNOSO, EDWARD ) Protest Decision 2025 ESD 16
) Issued: November 24, 2025
Protestor. ) OES Case No. P-022-102925-GP
) P-023-103125-GP
)
INTRODUCTION
Edward Reynoso, employee and member of Teamster Local 320, has filed two protests against Jackson Kerr, candidate on the 320 Teamster Action slate (“320 Teamster Action Slate”) in Local 320’s officer election (“Local Officer Election”) and delegate in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters 2026 International Union Delegate and Officer Election (“IBT Delegate Election”), pursuant to Article XIII, Section 2(b) of the Rules for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters 2026 International Union Delegate and Officer Election (“Rules”).
In the first protest, P-022-102925-GP (“P-022”), Reynoso alleged that on October 28, 2025, Kerr campaigned at the Resideo facility in Golden Valley, Minnesota during union time and used employer resources to promote his candidacy in violation of the Rules. In the second protest, P-023-103125-GP (“P-023”), Reynoso alleged that on October 29, 2025, Kerr and Sanchez Brown campaigned at the Metropolitan Airport Commission (“MAC”) on union time in violation of the Rules.
These protests arise out of similar conduct and involve some of the same parties, therefore, we consolidated them for investigation and decision. Dolores Hall of the Office of the Election Supervisor (“OES”) investigated these protests. The investigation included interviews of Reynoso, Kerr, Brian Aldes, the current Secretary-Treasurer of Local 320, Russell Wyman, a Business Agent for Local 320 for the Resideo facility, Eric Newton, a manager at the Resideo facility, Ryan Bullock, head of Human Resources for Honeywell,[1] and Sanchez Brown, candidate for delegate in the IBT Delegate Election on the 320 Teamster Action slate. Additionally, the investigation included review and analysis of all materials submitted by the interested parties and witnesses in connection to these protests including videos, photographs, and emails.
BACKGROUND
Local 320 is running its Local Officer Election and IBT Delegate Election concurrently. The nomination meeting for both elections was on November 1, 2025. The ballots for the Local Officer Election were subsequently mailed on November 7, 2025, and the ballot count is scheduled for December 5, 2025. The ballots for the IBT Delegate Election are to be mailed on December 1, 2025, and the ballot count is on December 29, 2025. As set forth in greater detail in Skoog, 2025 ESD 15 (Nov. 24, 2025), two slates have been formed for both elections: the 320 Teamsters United slate (“320 Teamsters United Slate”) headed by Skoog and Loahr and the 320 Teamster Action slate (“320 Teamster Action Slate”) headed by Kerr.
Kerr has made it clear that he has been actively campaigning for the Local Officer Election only. This is corroborated by review of the campaign materials including, but not limited to, the 320 Teamster Action slate’s website, Facebook page, and campaign leaflets which contain photographs of the Local Officer Election ballot and reference new leadership for Local 320. See Skoog, 2025 ESD 15 (Nov. 24, 2025). During our investigation we did not see and were not provided any campaign materials from the 320 Teamster Action Slate that directly related to the IBT Delegate Election.
Aldes explained that all business agents in Local 320 have assigned areas of jurisdiction. Kerr is assigned to all campuses state-wide for the University of Minnesota, the Hennepin County General Services Administration bargaining unit, and members working at the Minneapolis Convention Center.[2] Aldes and Reynoso stated that business agents do not have set working hours although majority of their work is conducted during normal business hours. For example, bargaining and grievances typically occur during regular business hours.
The Honeywell company operates out of the Resideo facility in Golden Valley. Newton is the manager, and he works closely with Bullock, the head of human resources for Honeywell employees. Kerr stated that he scheduled a time to campaign for the Local Officer Election at the Resideo facility. This is corroborated by documentation provided by Bullock. On October 23, 2025, Kerr emailed Bullock and Craig Davis asking to campaign for the Local Officer Election at the Resideo facility on October 28th. The subject of Kerr’s email was, “Teamsters 320 Action Slate Visit to Resideo Golden Valley.” In the email, Kerr wrote:
Greetings,
I am writing on behalf of the Teamsters Local 320 Action Slate. We are a group contesting in the internal L320 union election.
We are interested in campaigning in the parking lot near the West Factory door of the Resideo Golden Valley location on Tuesday, 10/28 from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM. While in the parking lot, we would like to set up a small tent and table. We would like to speak with employees during their lunch break.
Please let us know if we can make arrangements and if management at the location would be willing to rope the area off for us. We look forward to hearing from you and coordinating this visit.
(Emphasis added).
Bullock responded and informed Kerr that his request to campaign was approved, notified him that Newton would be present at the site on the day of the visit and reminded him to “keep in mind the activity must remain only in the approved area and our team will make sure three is an area blocked off for you.” Kerr was scheduled to campaign at the Resideo facility between 10:30 and 12:30 while employees were on their lunch breaks. Newman and Bullock notified Wyman that Kerr was scheduled to campaign on October 28th because Wyman is the Business Agent assigned to the Resideo facility.
On October 28, 2025, Kerr arrived at the Resideo facility sometime between 9:00AM and 9:15 AM.[3] Kerr sent an email at 9:12 AM confirming that he was in the parking lot and asked where he should set up. Bullock noted that he had arrived early but that someone would meet him in the parking lot. Kerr responded that he wanted to get their early to set up. Kerr spoke with Joe Paullas, the Resideo facility manager. Paullas set up cones and safety chains outlining the area where Kerr was permitted to set up a table and chairs under a canopy in the parking lot. Video and screen shots that are date and time stamped provided by Reynoso show Kerr standing under a navy-blue canopy next to two tables in a parking lot and a vote Teamster Action sign or banner. Wyman stated that he saw other individuals arrived in the area. Video and screenshots corroborated Wyman’s statements about Kerr campaigning at the Resideo facility between 9:30 and 11:30. Wyman left at noon. Kerr was still present at the time he left. Bullock stated that Kerr left the facility shortly after the lunch hour.
That same day, Sanchez Brown stated that he and Kerr were at the Ramsey County Correctional facility when Kerr asked Brown if he was free to speak with the security officers at Hennepin County the next day, October 29th. Brown used to be a Hennepin County security officer. Brown stated that he met Kerr around 9:00 AM on October 29, 2025 to speak with Hennepin County security officers. He stated that they went to about three Hennepin County security facilities and the Hennepin County Detention Center. Brown stated that at each facility they visited, he and Kerr walked around speaking with people asking whether or not the employees were union members. Brown acknowledged that they distributed flyers about Local 320’s Local Officer Election to employees who were also union members. Brown stated that he understood they were campaigning for the Local Officer Election only and that they informed each member they spoke with about the Local Officer Election and asked them to vote for the 320 Teamster Action Slate. When Brown was asked if he was campaigning for his delegate position in the IBT Delegate Election, Brown unequivocally stated that they were not. Brown stated that he and Kerr were campaigning for the Local Officer Election noting that he had not yet been nominated as a candidate for delegate and that his nomination was a last-minute thing. The nomination meeting where Brown was nominated as a delegate in the IBT Delegate Election occurred days after Brown was campaigning with Kerr.[4]
Brown stated that he and Kerr ate lunch at a food truck and spoke to members until about 1:30 or 2:00 PM. After that, he and Kerr went to the airport to campaign. Brown stated that the airport is about a ten-minute drive from the last Hennepin County facility he and Kerr were campaigning at. Brown stated that they didn’t have the opportunity to speak with anyone at the airport because people were already heading home when they arrived. He stated that he and Kerr left the airport shortly after arriving. Brown stated that it was “nowhere near” 3:15 PM when he and Kerr were at the airport. Brown confirmed that he did not take vacation leave on October 29, 2025. Reynoso, who was also present at the airport campaigning for the 320 Teamsters United Slate stated that Kerr and Brown were campaigning at the airport from 2:15 until at least 3:15 PM, when Reynoso left. Reynoso and Jason Loahr, who he was campaigning with, took a vacation day to campaign.
Kerr provided a schedule of his whereabouts on October 28th and 29th. On October 28, 2025, from 8-9 AM, Kerr responded to member texts, spoke with a member at the University of Minnesota about FMLA changes by the employer, campaigned for the Local Officer Election at the Resideo facility from 9-11:30 AM, took lunch break from 11:30-12 PM, prepared receipts and spoke with various members about representational matters from 1-4PM, and then drafted and processed a grievance settlement from 4-6 PM.
On October 29, 2025, Kerr campaigned for the Local Officer Election at the MAC field office in South Minneapolis from 3-7 AM, prepared and submitted receipts, spoke with a member at the University of Minnesota regarding an investigatory hearing from 7-9 AM, conducted representational site visits to Hennepin County security officers, which he claims was incidental campaigning for the Local Officer Election from 9-2 PM, campaigned for the Local Officer Election at the MAC from 2-2:30 PM, picked up member applications from union steward at Pioneer Hall no the University of Minneapolis campus and spoke with members between 3-4 PM, and drafted an unfair labor practice charge from 4-6 PM.
Reynoso stated that he informed Aldes that Kerr appeared to be campaigning on union time on October 28th and 29th. Reynoso stated that Aldes told him that he (Aldes) spoke with Kerr about his campaigning which gave to this protest and that Kerr provided no explanation about why he did not take vacation time. Aldes confirmed with Suzanne Slawson that Kerr did not take vacation time for October 28th or October 29th.
ANALYSIS
Article VII, Section 12(a) of the Rules prohibits campaigning during work hours. Article XI Section 1(b)(2) of the Rules prohibits employers from contributing, “directly or indirectly, anything of value, where the purpose, object, or foreseeable effect of the contribution is influence, positively or negatively, the election of a candidate. No candidate may accept or use any such contribution.” In addition to monetary contributions, this includes “contributions or use of employer stationery, equipment, facilities, and personnel.”
However, the Election Supervisor only has authority to supervise the International Brotherhood of Teamsters International Union Delegate and Officer Elections and the Rules do not apply to local officer elections. See e.g., Kantrowitz PR-033-LU705-NCE, (Dec. 16, 1997) (“The evidence presented is insufficient to show that any of Mr. Kantrowitz’s campaign efforts were made on behalf of International candidates. Therefore, the Rules are not applicable to the allegations made in this protest”). Under Article I of the Rules:
Pursuant to Article III, Section 5(a)(2) of the IBT Constitution and the 2026 Election Agreement, the Election Supervisor has the 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. The authority of the Election Supervisor shall include the authority to supervise all phases of the International Union delegate and officer elections and to hear and determine, with the Election Appeals Master, any protests and appeals concerning the elections and, where necessary, conduct, overturn or rerun any phase of the elections. The Election Supervisor is authorized and obligated to certify election results.
See also Rules, Art. II, Section 1. The Election Officer has no jurisdiction over matters not related to the IBT International Union delegate and officer election. See e.g., Darsey, P-276-LU528-SEC (Jan. 24, 1991); Meyers, P-493-LU999-PNJ (April 4, 1996); see also Webb & Thomas, 2010 ESD 56 (Dec. 13, 2010).
Kerr does not dispute that he was campaigning but claims that he was only campaigning for the Local Officer Election. The Local Officer Election and the IBT Delegate Election for Local 320 are being run concurrently, and he is running in both elections on the 320 Teamster Action slate. The 320 Teamster Action slate banner hung during Kerr’s campaigning on October 28th does not specifically reference either election. However, both Kerr and Brown stated that they were campaigning for the Local Officer Election only. This is consistent with the email Kerr sent to Bullock contemporaneously with his request to schedule a time to campaign for the Local Officer Election on October 28th. This is also consistent with Kerr’s campaigning activities that have been the subject of other protests and Local 320 Teamster Action Slate’s website and Facebook page, which clearly demonstrates that Kerr and his slate are focused on, and actively campaigning for, the Local Officer Election only. See e.g., Skoog, 2025 ESD 15 (Nov. 24, 2025) (denying protests against Kerr and Kerr’s counter-protests because the subject campaign activities were not directly connected to the IBT Delegate Election). Other than the mere fact that Kerr and Brown are candidates in the IBT Delegate Election, the protestor has provided no evidence directly connecting the campaign activities that are the subject of these protests with the IBT Delegate Election.
We previously held that absent evidence directly linking the alleged conduct to the IBT Delegate Election, we decline to find that the Election Supervisor has jurisdiction. See Skoog, 2025 ESD 15 (Nov. 24, 2025). The Rules expressly permit local unions to run local officer elections concurrently with their delegate elections. See Rules, Art. II, Section 3(a)(1) (permitting local unions with a regularly scheduled local union officer election in the Fall of 2025 to also conduct its delegate nomination and election in the fall of 2025); see also Rules, Art. II, Section 7. However, the two elections are to be conducted separately, and the Election Supervisor’s authority is still limited to conduct related to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters 2026 International Union Delegate and Officer Election. See Rules, Art. II, Section 7(b) (“For those Local Unions electing delegates and alternate delegates at the same time as Local Union officer elections, the delegates and alternate delegates shall be elected in an election separate from the election of Local Union officers.”).
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. Moreover, this would significantly broaden the Election Supervisor’s authority to intervene in local union matters based on the mere fact that a local officer election and delegate election were being run concurrently—as permitted by the Rules—absent any evidence of a direct link to the delegate election. Compare Webb & Thomas, 2010 ESD 56 (despite touching on the delegate election, the evidence showed a direct link to the local officer election and was not sufficient to establish jurisdiction), Kantrowitz PR-033-LU705-NCE, (Dec. 16, 1997), and Darsey, P-276-LU528-SEC (Jan. 24, 1991) (denying the protest because the Election Officer had no jurisdiction over matters unrelated to the IBT International Union delegate and officer election and any “turmoil” at the meeting “was related to intra-Union issues other than issues regarding or concerning the 1991 IBT International Union delegate or officer election” and there was no evidence that the remarks were based on the candidacy for alternate delegate or any other campaign activity) with Scherer, 2011 EAD 82 (Jan. 19, 2001) (the Election Supervisor had authority over conduct that clearly related to the delegate election); and 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 upon examination of the totality of the circumstances surrounding the campaign activity at issue here, we find that the evidence shows that the subject campaigning activities are directly related to the Local Officer Election only, which we do not have jurisdiction over. 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 16
DISTRIBUTION LIST (BY EMAIL UNLESS NOTED OTHERWISE):
Jackson Kerr
Brian Aldes
Edward M. Gleason, Jr.,
David Suetholz
Will Bloom
Ken Paff
Thomas Kokalas
Timothy S. Hillman
Paul Dever
Jim Devine
Kelly Hogan
[1] Bullock is located in Chicago but is responsible for Honeywell employees working out of the Resideo facility.
[2] Aldes couldn’t remember if Kerr was assigned to another area.
[3] Reynoso also stated that he observed Kerr in the parking lot around 9:00 AM. Reynoso took vacation time to campaign on October 28, 2025.
[4] Review of the IBT Nomination Meeting Results for Local 320 confirm that Brown was nominated as a candidate for delegate in the IBT Election on the 320 Teamster Action slate on November 1, 2025.