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Letter to Local 18 for Financial Records

November 14, 2005

IUOE Local 18

President Kenneth M. Triplett

3515 Prospect Avenue

Cleveland , Ohio 44115

Dear Sir and Brother,

As you know, I have been attending Executive Board meetings of Local 18 for over 12 years, not as a Board member, just as an interested member of Local 18. Now that I am an Executive Board member of Local 18, elected (not appointed) to represent the members of my district and as part of my fiduciary obligations, I am requesting a written breakdown of all business/financial transactions regarding IUOE Local 18. This request is based on the past and current practice of IUOE Local 18 not presenting all business and financial transactions in writing to the Executive Board of Local 18 to be questioned and or approved. I find it extraordinary that these financial/business transactions have not been presented in written form as a requirement under the IUOE Constitution as well as the legal requirements under the United States Department of Labor regulations. My request is for the current year beginning January 1, 2005 and the written breakdown be presented at each Executive Board meeting for review and action. I am also requesting that the Executive Board members have access to all financial records of the IUOE Local 18 for any period that a written report has not been presented to the Executive Board for review and action.

In addition to the above request, I further request the following information on behalf of myself and the IUOE Local 18 Members that I represent in our appeal regarding the recent election of Officers in IUOE Local 18, as well as the members of IUOE Local 18 that I represent as a Member of the IUOE Local 18 Executive Board.

At the vote count of IUOE Local 18 Election on July 27, 2005 , and in numerous phone calls on September 12, 2005 , I requested information regarding the identity, presence, and actions of Attorney Stephen J. Rosenblat of the Law Firm of Baum Sigman Auerbach & Neuman, Ltd. 200 West Adams Street Suite 2200 Chicago, Ill. 60606 and phone 312-236-4316.

On July 27, 2005 while at the post office picking up the ballots, I asked that the post office count the ballots, a process that the supervisor, Suzanne said would only take a few minutes. The man standing with Mr. Blanski (of the accounting firm of Ballauer, Blanski & Friedman, P.C., C.P.A.s) said it wasn't necessary. I asked who he was and Mr. Blanski introduced Stephen Rosenblat as the attorney for the Election Committee. I told Mr. Rosenblat it was not up to him, it was up to the Election Committee and I asked Warren Wright, Chairman of the Election Committee, to have the envelopes counted. He said it wasn't necessary that the count was going to take long enough that day. I said that the Committee members present, (which were not a majority), needed to vote. They did and denied my request on advice of Mr. Rosenblat and Mr. Wright.

On September 12, 2005 I spoke with Mr. Wright and asked him who hired Mr. Rosenblat. He said he didn't know, he had always been the attorney at elections ever since he (Wright) had been on the committee (about 10 years) and just supposed Rosenblat worked for the accounting firm of Graff, Ballauer, Blanski & Friedman, P.C., C.P.A.s. I also asked him how they hired an accounting firm from Chicago and Mr. Wright had the same response, they had always used them.

I then called and spoke with Mr. Blanski of Graff, Ballauer, Blanski & Friedman, P.C., C.P.A.s and asked for the election results as well as the name and address of the attorney who worked for them. He said Rosenblat did not work for his firm; he was hired by the Election Committee. I asked for Mr. Rosenblat's contact information. Mr. Blanski said he would have Mr. Rosenblat call me. I said no, I want his contact information. Grudgingly he gave me the phone number but was not sure of the firms many names. I researched Mr. Rosenblat on the internet and found he was with the law firm of Baum Sigman Auerbach & Neuman.

Then, during my appeal to Local 18 at the Executive Board meeting on October 22, 2005 , as part of the Local's response, IUOE Local 18 Business Manager and IUOE VP Patrick L. Sink read a letter from Stephen Rosenblat with his objections to my appeal. I asked Local 18 BM/IUOE VP Sink who Mr. Rosenblat actually worked for and he said “Mr. Rosenblat works for the accounting firm”. I said you mean he works for Blanski? BM/IUOE VP Sink said yes. I said Mr. Blanski told me Mr. Rosenblat worked for the Election Committee. BM/ IUOE VP Sink said no, he works for the accounting firm.

In light of all the discrepancies stated above, I would like to know the following: Who authorized the hiring of Mr. Rosenblat and his law firm? What was he or the Law Firm paid and from which fund? Has the Law Firm and / or Mr. Rosenblat performed any work for IUOE Local 18 and / or any of its entities in the past? The entities would include Health & Welfare / Pension / Apprenticeship and the North Central States Conference or any other entity that IUOE Local 18 contributes to. I am requesting a written report and copies regarding the functions and billings to or from Baum Sigman Auerbach & Neuman and / or Mr. Stephen J. Rosenblat.

As you are aware, as part as my duties of an employee of the Apprenticeship Fund, I prepared most all of the information and documentation that is presented to the Apprenticeship Trustees at their quarterly meetings. In the binders I prepared, the Trustees (which included employees of the union appointed by BM/IUOE VP Sink) are given all information regarding the Apprenticeship business/financials issues as well as any other business that had transpired since the last meeting or was expected to transpire before the nest meeting. These books were also prepared for the Trustees of the Health & Welfare and the Trustees of the Pension Fund. Incredibly, as I have stated, there has never been any written information provided to the Executive Board at any meeting I attend over a period of 12 or more years.

If IUOE Local 18 BM/IUOE VP Sink had a practice of presenting all business/financial transactions to the Local 18 Executive Board in written form as he requires as a Trustee of the Apprenticeship Fund, the Health & Welfare Fund, and the Pension Fund, my request may not have been necessary. In any event we feel the requested information is germane to our election appeal to the IUOE, consequently your prompt action regarding the request will be appreciated. Since the addresses of the Executive Board members are not available to me, please be sure that the letters that are stamped and addressed to Executive Board members of Local 18 be forwarded immediately.

Fraternally,

Patricia A. Kohl

Patricia A. Kohl

Executive Board of Local 18

CC:

Local 18 Business Manager/IUOE VP Patrick Sink

Local 18 Officers

Local 18 Executive Board

IUOE General President Vincent Giblin

IUOE General Council Richard Griffin

IUOE General Executive Board