POPA Election 2020

Updates will be posted here in chronological order.

For any questions on the election, please contact the election committee at popaelection20@popa.org.

The election results are as follows...

President: Kathleen Duda

Vice President: Patricia Duffy

Secretary: Gerald Ewoldt 

Assistant Secretary: Nathan Hillery

Treasurer: David Reip

 

Chemical Area Delegates

Joseph Woitach

Jennifer Graser

Francisco Tschen

Adrienne Johnstone

Christine Saoud

Geraldina Visconti

Peter Anthopolos

Ileana Popa

Chris Chin

 

Mechanical Area Delegates

John H. Holly

Deepak Deean

Maurice Williams

Jeffrey A. Shapiro

Richard A. Goldman

Stephen Gravini

Robert J. Sandy

Vinh T. Luong

 

Design & Others Delegates

George Kirschbaum

Melanie H. Tung

 

Electrical Delegates

Kimberly Kakalec

Tyler Sullivan

Irakli Kiknadze

Lance Leonard Barry

Pedro C. Fernandez

Gabe Chu

Julie Anne Watko

William David Coleman

Kim Lockett

 

 

The ballots were mailed on October 19 and were due back 9am November 13. The time to request a duplicate ballot has now passed.

 

10/26/20

Campaign Procedures

The Labor-Management Reporting Disclosure Act requires that all candidates be treated equally with respect to the opportunity to campaign. Section 401(g) provides that any movies received by POPA, or any other labor organization by way of dues, assessments, or similar levy, or monies of any employer may not be used directly or indirectly to support the candidacy of any person in a union election of officers. This prohibition extends to equipment, vehicles, office supplies, records, and personnel of POPA and any other labor organization and to employers, whether or not they employ POPA members. Union officers and employees may not campaign on time that is paid for by the union.

Section 401(e) provides that members may not be subjected to penalty, discipline, or improper interference or reprisal of any kind in the exercise of their right to support the candidate of their choice. 

These rules apply not just to candidates, but to everyone including candidates' supporters and members, even if the candidate is not aware that it is occuring. Candidates should be mindful of the following rules:

  • Union or employer equipment (including copiers, computers, printers, fax machines, telephones, email), vehicles, office supplies, facilities, cash, or any other financial or in-kind resources may not be used to promote or attack any candidate. This prohibition includes the creation and duplication of campaign literature using the USPTO's and/or POPA's computers, copiers, printers, or paper.
  • The use of any employer or any POPA logo is prohibited in campaign material.
  • The employer has decided to let candidates send campaign emails to members at their USPTO email addresses. Any email sent to an employer email address must include a subject line similar to the following: "Union Campaign Material: Read During Non-Duty Time." Union or employer membership lists cannot be used to obtain the names of union members or their email addresses. 
  • The employer has decided to let candidates leave campaign voicemail messages on USPTO telephones. Campaign calls to work telephone numbers must be made on non-duty time, and should only be made between the hours of 7:00pm and 7:00am. If an employee answers, they must be assumed to be working and they are not to be campaigned to. The person calling should state that they are calling regarding the POPA election, the law does not permit them to speak to the member during work time, and then ask if they may call back to leave a voicemail. All campaign voicemails to USPTO phone numbers must begin by informing the member that it is a campaign message and the member should listen to it while in a non-duty status. Union or employer membership lists cannot be used to obtain the names of union members or their telephone numbers.
  • All candidates or members that campaign via email must save the email message. All candidates or members that campaign via voicemail to members' work telephones must keep a log of who they contacted via phone or voicemail (whether a union member or not.)
  • Campaign telephone calls, voice messages, or voicemails cannot be made or sent from union or employer telephones or VOIP systems. 
  • Campaign emails cannot be sent from union or employer email accounts or computers
  • Union and/or employer email and/or membership lists of any kind may not be used for campaigning, no matter how they were obtained
  • Campaign literature may be posted on the general bulletin boards in the pantries at the USPTO in accordance with USPTO rules for postings. Campaign literature may also be left on tables in the cafeteria with advance coordination through the Facility Help Desk.
  • Employees may post campaign literature on their own office doors
  • Campaign literature may not be posted on union bulletin boards, elevators, or on USPTO walls
  • Candidates and their supporters are not allowed to campaign while on union or employer time
  • If you campaign to members, they should be on their own time. They should not be in a pay status with the employer or the union
  • Candidates and their supporters may campaign in the pantries, the cafeteria, the parking lot, and any other non-work areas as long as the candidate or their supporters are in a non-work status.
  • In-person campaigning may NOT take place to employees in their offices
  • Campaign literature may NOT be slipped under office doors
  • Union or employee websites, social media, newsletters, newspapers and other communications may not be used to promote or attack any candidate. This includes any union Facebook page or Twitter page, and any USPTO intranet bulletin board, Facebook, or Twitter
  • The USPTO weekly is not available for campaigning 
  • Local union officers and members are not to encourage support for or attack any candidate or group of candidates while discussing official union business during local union membership meetings. Campaigning and distributing campaign literature is allowed before and after membership meetings and during local union social events as long as all candidates and members are allowed equal time and access to campaign
  • Candidates and their supporters must pay full market price for all campaign related services unless a similar discount is given to all customers in the normal course of business. Receipts must be kept for all campaign purchases. 

 

10/26/20

The election committee has arranged for an additional campaign literature printer, Doyle Printing. Please contact Beth Sachs at esachs@doyleprint.com.

If you have any trouble contacting either printer, please let the election committee know at popaelection20@popa.org.  

 

Candidates

* - incumbent

President:

Kurt Mueller

Razu (Raj) Miah

Kathleen Duda*

Vice President:

Patricia Duffy*

Secretary:

Gerry Ewoldt*

Assistant Secretary:

Tyler Sullivan

Nathan Hillery*

Treasurer:

David Reip*

Chemical Delegates:

Joseph Woitach*

Jennifer Graser*

Francisco Tschen

Adrienne Johnstone*

Christine Saoud*

Geraldina Visconti*

Peter Anthopolos*

Ileana Popa*

Chris Chin*

Design/Other Delegates:

George Kirschbaum*

Melanie Tung*

Electrical Delegates:

Kimberly Kakalec*

Tyler Sullivan*

Irakli Kiknadze*

Lance Leonard Barry*

Pedro C. Fernandez*

Gabe Chu*

Julie Anne Watko*

Mechanical Delegates:

John Holly*

Deepak Deean*

Maurice Williams*

Jeffrey Shapiro*

Richard A. Goldman

Stephen Gravini*

Robert Sandy*

Vinh T. Luong*

David Reip

 

9/01/20

Nominating Petition

Petition Here

Additional Election Rules

1. Please read the notes on the election nominating petition itself.

2. Employees may use the USPTO email to send petitions to other employees to sign. Email addresses must be placed in the bcc line and employees may not use any email address list including those available in the Global Address Lists (per OHR and OGL)

3. It is permissible to send individual petitions to individual employees. Please note that actual signatures are still required. If multiple petitions are obtained, they should be sent in one email to a member of electon committee or Gerry Ewoldt, POPA Secretary. See the nominating petition itself for instructions. 

4. Completed petitions are to be sent by 5:00 pm on September 25, 2020, to POPAelection20@popa.org

5. Petitions can be sent as a scanned copy or digital photograph to the given email addresses. Scanned copies are preferred. Candidates should ensure that the names and signatures are legible on the scan or photo. When taking a photograph, make sure the text and signatures are in focus. It is the candidate's responsibility to hold on to the paper copies of their nominating petitions until they have been told by the election committee that their petitions are legible and accepted.

6. Ryan Barrett is the election committee chair with Suzanna Lo serving as member of the committee.

 

Campaign Materials

An employee must be a candidate whose nominating petition has been approved by the election committee before arranging to have campaign materials printed and/or mailed. 

Any candidate who wishes to have any campaign materials printed and mailed to members can contact Gibson Printing at petegibson@gibsonprint.com.

Gibson has the membership mailing list and will be able to print and then mail your materials to either the dues-paying membership or to an area, i.e., chemical, electrical, mechanical, and/or design/others. Gibson Printing will not release the membership mailing list to any candidate.

Candidates are responsible for contacting Gibson Printing to make their own arrangements.

Payment for any materials (including at least printing and mailing) is the responsibility of the candidate(s). POPA has informed Gibson Printing that POPA is not responsible for any campaign materials or the cost to produce or mail such materials. 

Candidates are not permitted to use any government equipment to produce campaign materials. 

 

 

8/27/20

ELECTION NOTICE

Information mailers:

Union Member Rights and Responsibilities 

2020 Election Rules