Massive Growth or Accounting Error, TeamsterLink Special Report

[admin415]

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Media outlets are reporting and President O'Brien is acknowledging, that the Teamsters membership grew by over 200,000 members during his first year in office. National media reported that based on numbers that the IBT submitted on their LM-2 form to the Department of Labor.

BUT THOSE NUMBERS DON’T ADD UP, and either O’Brien knows it and is keeping quiet, or hasn’t had time to ask any questions before taking credit.

There are three ways of looking at the number of members on the LM forms filed by most labor unions with the DOL.
-- First, on the front page of the form (Item 20) is a space for “the number of members at the end of the reporting period.” This is the number the press usually looks at and O’Brien is parroting. In 2022 that was 1,221,545; in 2021 1,015,775. (this is the dotted black line in the accompanying chart).

-- Second, on Schedule 13 in the middle of the 514 page report the union reports the number of members AND fee payers (who locals also pay per capita on). In 2022 that was 1,526,238 compared to 1,275,498 in 2022. Prior to 2021, the IBT never reported more than 64,000 fee payers, in 2022 it shows 304,693 (the total of members and fee payers is shown as the gold line in the chart)(per capita is the amount of dues money per member per month that goes to the international from each members monthly dues).

-- Lastly, the union reports in a footnote what the average per capita per month was collected. Using the total dollars of per capita received reported in the financials, and the average per member, you can calculate the implied number of members. (these are the blue bars in the chart).

BUT, something was wrong with the 2021 numbers. In March 2022, right before their time as officers ended, Hoffa and Hall signed an LM-2 that reported only 927,641 members and 259,723 feepayers for a total of 1,187,364. But then, a few days later, they filed an amendment which increased the number of members to 1,105,775 without changing the total received or number of fee payers. Therefore, even with the amended numbers, it looked like the IBT lost 175,000 members but gained 242,000 fee payers. So if you look at the same number President O’Brien is bragging on, it went down 175,000 in 2021 before coming back by 206,000 in 2022.

A few reporters actually caught the wacky 2021 numbers. Andy Sernatinger in the May 27, 2022 Tempest Magazine reported on the crazy numbers from the IBT showing a loss of "one quarter of a million members" since the 2016 election based on the 2021 LM-2.

Perhaps most telling of all, the quarterly number of members calculated from per capita received and published inside the marble palace shows 1,291,000 for the quarter ended 12/31/22 compared to 1,268,000 for the same period in 2021 – an increase of 23,000 just 10% of what O’Brien claimed.

Although not published directly, the best estimate of the trend over time is using the amount of percapita dollars received (a number which is seriously audited) and the estimated per capita per month that the International included in their report to DOL and calculate the implied number of members. These are the blue bars in the chart which shows virtually no change from 2021 to 2022, but a big drop from 2019 to 2020. That makes the most sense.

The good news for Teamster members is we did grow just not by the massive numbers their throwing around.
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[Jazzman]

I'm not sure who put this together but my Local is looking for an auditor, please apply. If these LM-2 references pan out this is serious and should have been caught and fixed by the GST's office. It's a mistake of over 200,000 members.

[Nickjamesups]

Whoever put this together it needs to be checked by our secretary treasurer! If he made a two hundred thousand member mistake he owes us an explanation!

[JZuraw]

Of course, the IBT should put out a clarifying statement. And O'Brien should delete that tweet.

[SlipSheets]

Hello TDU, anyone home? Where is that reporting courage of the past? We’re all waiting!

[Thisischange?]

TDU Once refered to as a watchdog.....Seems to have become a lapdog.

[Thisischange?]

Of course, the IBT should put out a clarifying statement. And O'Brien should delete that tweet.

Simple question. Where did the 200,000 come from? Growth of companies? Growth through organizing? Sounds more like an accounting error to me. The HQ corporation should work on their book keeping and reporting.

[Nights]

Perhaps most telling of all, the quarterly number of members calculated from per capita received and published inside the marble palace shows 1,291,000 for the quarter ended 12/31/22 compared to 1,268,000 for the same period in 2021 – an increase of 23,000 just 10% of what O’Brien claimed.


If these were the internal count numbers they were using they new the truth. When the media began making public this alleged huge increase in membership for one year, our leadership had a simple decision to make. They could come clean and acknowledge the mistake, after all it wasn't entirely this administrations fault. Or they could continue the BS that we actually organized an additional 206,000 members to make themselves look good. Not exactly our finest hour as a union.

[Gimliboston9]

“We missed 200,000 new members ! Thank god Bloomberg saw it ! I sent a Twitter taking credit , sorry if you look incompetent not noticing the increase .
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[1speed]

It doesn't matter what Sean O'Brien does you guys will complain. He's been all over the country meeting members and trying to fix things. For those that follow things in the union most think hes doing a good job.

[Faust]

Explain what he fixed? He hasn't fixed shit!

[Jazzman]

It doesn't matter what Sean O'Brien does you guys will complain. He's been all over the country meeting members and trying to fix things. For those that follow things in the union most think hes doing a good job.

With all due respect you didn't address the issue here. Do you believe the union grew by 200,000 members in one year? What employer did we organize that has more than a few thousand at best (and I honestly don't know who would have that many)? Did UPS grow by 200,000? If any union were organizing 200,000 workers in one year it would be on the news every day for that year.
This really needs to be addressed but no one seems to even be walking it back.

[Koldiww]

No one should or could believe there was an increase of over 200,000 new members in one year. Practically, it would be an impossibility to organize, get recognition and negotiate a contract and then get dues ( which constitutes a new member reported on the LM2). If an officer signs the LM2 with false numbers it is a violation of Fedetal Law; falsifying a federal required document. The IRB went after local 710 for this even though that was a clerical error. In this case it probably was a clerical error (even zuckerman couldn't be that stupid to believe those numbers) but the fact that they were taking credit really undermines their already declining credibility. And as far as O'Brian traveling around the country seeing members and fixing things. While seeing members is good obviously, it is nothing more than a giant, orchestrated PR campaign .

[Faust]

Sean O'Brien is a fraud!

[Guest]

He will take credit for the sun rising if you let him.

[Koldiww]

I have just read a post from OZ apologist Diana Kilmury. Maybe she wrote it or maybe she didn't, regardless she is full of bs.

1. Any organizing drives that brought members into the union had to happen over a long period of time. Factually, that means the campaigns started before OZ took over. It takes considerable amounts of time to take proposals, negotiate a contract (usually with a very hostile employer trying to delay the process), then if that gets done, ratify it, get people signed up, and start the process, a heavy lift, and near impossible to produce the kind of numbers that are being reported. Those are the only legitimate members who should be reported, the ones paying dues!

2. Let's say they are now using total numbers in a bargaining unit rather than the dues paying members. That could make a difference in overall numbers but would not be legitimate. This could bump up numbers in the RTW states. The numbers should reflect the average numbers per month and added together would total a Local's annual membership, and thereby a JC's membership and ultimately the IBT membership. So all of Diana's or whomever wrote her post, bs about seasonal and RTW states doesn't matter, of course that is, if you choose to be accurate! It IS NOT A SNAPSHOT, it is supposed to be an average for the year. That is how delegates are determined for a local for the convention; an average over a specific period of time.

3. The Hoffa administration fudged numbers perhaps but never to this degree. Bragging about bs gains undermines credibility and strengthens the point that Zuckerman perhaps isn't up to the job.

4. Admit the mistake, call it a mistake, blame it on Hoffa, Hall, Keegel, Vairma, Herrera, Aloise, whoever you want and move on and do something but put out propaganda!

[Truthspeaker]

Aside from being way off in her comments in regard to this specific incident she is also ( almost called her a coward) miss representing herself. In her Facebook post , where she is brave in her home site, she intimates that she responded on THIS site , she did not! She stays in her own backyard where SHE has the right to block opposing posts.

[Faust]

I have just read a post from OZ apologist Diana Kilmury. Maybe she wrote it or maybe she didn't, regardless she is full of bs.

1. Any organizing drives that brought members into the union had to happen over a long period of time. Factually, that means the campaigns started before OZ took over. It takes considerable amounts of time to take proposals, negotiate a contract (usually with a very hostile employer trying to delay the process), then if that gets done, ratify it, get people signed up, and start the process, a heavy lift, and near impossible to produce the kind of numbers that are being reported. Those are the only legitimate members who should be reported, the ones paying dues!

2. Let's say they are now using total numbers in a bargaining unit rather than the dues paying members. That could make a difference in overall numbers but would not be legitimate. This could bump up numbers in the RTW states. The numbers should reflect the average numbers per month and added together would total a Local's annual membership, and thereby a JC's membership and ultimately the IBT membership. So all of Diana's or whomever wrote her post, bs about seasonal and RTW states doesn't matter, of course that is, if you choose to be accurate!

3. The Hoffa administration fudged numbers perhaps but never to this degree. Bragging about bs gains undermines credibility and strengthens the point that Zuckerman perhaps isn't up to the job.

4. Admit the mistake, call it a mistake, blame it on Hoffa, Hall, Keegel, Vairma, Herrera, Aloise, whoever you want and move on and do something but put out propaganda!

My understanding is it was written by Brian "the bagman" Rainville.

I'm glad she quoted this website.

[Thisischange?]

How did John Coli's right hand guy become Executive Assistant to the G.P.,all those years with a convicted felon and he knew nothing?