Dear Brothers and Sisters:

I am pleased to announce the fourth training program for local union financial officers, known as the Secretary-Treasurers Conference. We have scheduled the five day event for January 29-February 2, 2007, in San Francisco, California on various aspects of financial administration, election rules and record keeping. The program is designed to help ensure ILWU compliance with federal regulations and internal union procedures.  Instructors include ILWU legal and fiscal consultants, union staff and International and local officers.

Subjects to be covered include:
• Reporting requirements of the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA)
• Reporting to the International Union
• Fiduciary responsibilities of the local union and its officers
• Beck procedures
• Appropriate union expenditures
• Bonding requirements
• Role of trustees
• Local union election procedures and regulations
• Records management and retention schedules
• Understanding and conducting an audit
• Fiscal guidelines for political action funds and committees

Each mainland local and affiliate is invited to send two participants: its secretary-treasurer (or other officer in charge of finances and record keeping) and the office manager or clerical employee who fills out and maintains the union’s financial and administrative records. Depending on the number of official participants, space may be available for a limited number of trustees selected by their local union.

The conference will be held at the Cathedral Hill Hotel. The International will cover costs of the training as well as hotel accommodations (based on double occupancy for the nights of January 29-February 1). This means individuals willing to share a room with another participant will have no hotel costs. Complete information, including the program registration form, is available at the ILWU website: http://www.ilwu.org/education/Sec-Treas/2007/index.cfm. If you have any questions, please contact me or ILWU Education Director Gene Vrana here at International headquarters.

In solidarity,

William Adams, Secretary-Treasurer