Executive Compensation at Unite Here (NYC)
The Hotel, Restaurant, Club Employees, and Bartenders Union known formerly as Unite Here Local 6 (Unite Here) is tax-exempt non-profit labor union representing employees in the hotel industry in the New York metropolitan area. A member of the New York Hotel Trades Council (NYHTC) and the New York City Central Trade Council, Unite Here operates out of the same office as NYHTC. And, the Business Manager of Unite Here – Peter Ward – is also the President of NYHTC (according to the 2019 Form 990). Read more 
Executive Compensation at the New York Hotel Trades Council
Recently, I read an article in the New Yorker called “Behind the Scenes at a Five-Star Hotel” that I highly recommend if you’re the least bit interested in the restaurant and hotel industry in New York City. Prior to Covid, most people didn’t think too much about hotels and restaurants beyond the location, cost, number of stars, and quality of the food and service. But Covid changed all that in that we pretty much stopped thinking about hotels and restaurants because we stopped traveling, going to events, and eating out.
Athough Covid devastated the hotel and restaurant industry across the country, the New York City market was hit particularly hard even though many of the workers belong to a labor union, which exist to protect the workers. One of the biggest labor unions representing hotel and restaurant workers is the New York Hotel Trades Council (NYHTC), a tax-exempt, non profit trade organization that represents nearly 40,000 employees in 300 hotels in the hospitality industry in the New York/New Jersey region.
NYHTC is governed by 9 voting members, 1 of whom is independent.
Based in New York, NY, the NYHTC reported total revenue of $46 million in 2018 (compared to $35 million in 2017), most of which came from membership dues and fees ($37 million) and settlements ($9 million). Expenses totaled $35 million with the two largest expenses reported to be payments to affiliates ($18 million) and compensation ($9 million).
The payments to affiliates were primarily to an organization called Hotel Restaurant Club Employees and Bartenders Union which also goes by Unite Here. Unite Here is a tax-exempt 501 (c) 5 that provides members with representation with collective bargaining agreements negotiated with various employers.
Compensation, the second largest expense at $9 million was for 132 employees who received an average compensation of $68,000. The 11 most highly compensated employees (all of whom received a portion of their compensation from both NYHTC and an affiliate) were reported to be:
- $744,489: Peter Ward, President
- $514,356: Richard Maroko, Recording Secretary
- $444,089: James Donovan, General Organizer
- $356,985: Vanessa D Meade, VP
- $333,167: Christopher Cusack, EVP
- $314,263: Julia Rybak, Director of Organizing
- $303,646: Daniel Beer, CIO
- $301,636: Jason Ortiz, Strategic Affairs Director
- $284,321: John Ruben, COO
- $265,051: John Turchiano, Editor
- $242,820: George Padilla, VP
9 of the 11 (82%) most highly compensated employees are male while 2 (18%) are female. Two independent contractors received more than $100,000 in compensation: PITTA LLP received $2.2 million for legal services; Office of the Impartial Chairpeson received $400,000 for arbitration.
It is also important to note NYHTC gave a $1.6 million grant to New York Hotel Trades Council Non Federal Cope – a 527 (a political action committee to influence the selection, nomination, election, appointment, or defeat candidates to elected offices at the local, state, and federal level. NYHTC also gave a $1 million grant to another 527: Hotel Workers for Stronger Communities. Both of the grant recipients operate out of the same office as NYHTC.
To read the IRS Form 990 (2018), click here.
Executive Compensation at the National Insurance Crime Bureau
The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) is a tax-exempt, non-profit trade organization (for the insurance industry) based in Des Plaines, Illinois (although there are also seven regional offices throughout the US) . A 501 (c) 4, NICB was established to address insurance fraud and consequently works closely with law enforcement agencies.
NICB has 14 members in its governing body, all of whom are independent. However, due to timing differences, 19 members of the governing body are listed on the Form 990, 15 (79%) of whom are male while 4 (21%) are female. Read more
Executive Compensation at the Consumer Technology Association (CTA)
The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) is a tax-exempt, non-profit trade association (a 501 (c) 6, representing more than 2,200 consumer technology companies in the US consumer technology industry. Based in Arlington, VA, CTA promotes the common business interests of members engaged with the manufacture, sale, and distribution of consumer technology products.
The governing board of CTA has 13 voting members, all of whom are independent. 14 directors are listed on the Form 990 (2018) of which 12 (86%) are male while 2 (14%) are female. Read more
Executive Compensation at AdventHealth (2018)
AdventHealth (formerly known as Adventist Health System until 2019 when the 501 (c) (3) “rebranded” itself) is one of the largest non-profit health care providers in the United States with nearly 50 hospitals and hundreds of care sites in nearly a dozen states. Based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, AdventHealth is a very large system with dozens of separate 501 (c) (3)’s for the hospitals, physician care, patient care, and more.
This post looks at the executive compensation at Adventist Health System Sunbelt Healthcare Corporation (AHSSHC) because the most recent (2018) IRS Form 990 is available for this entity (before the organization was rebranded to AdventHealth). It is important to note there are dozens of other related and affiliated non-profits related to AdventHealth that are not covered in this post. Read more
Executive Compensation at the National Futures Association
In 1974, Congress established the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as an independent agency of the federal government to regulate the US derivatives market, which includes futures, swaps, and certain types of options. The National Futures Association (NFA) is a tax-exempt, non-profit 501 (c) 6 business association that is a self-regulatory organization for the US derivatives market. Sounds almost the same so what’s the difference? Both organizations are working to ensure legal standards are being adhered to but the NFA is only concerned with members of the NFA while operating under the authority of the CFTC. Read more
How Revenue is Spent at the National Futures Association
In 1974, Congress established the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as an independent agency of the federal government to regulate the US derivatives market, which includes futures, swaps, and certain types of options.
The National Futures Association (NFA) is a tax-exempt, non-profit 501 (c) 6 business association that is a self-regulatory organization for the US derivatives market. Sounds almost the same so what’s the difference? Both organizations are working to ensure legal standards are being adhered to but the NFA is only concerned with members of the NFA while operating under the authority of the CFTC. Read more
Executive Compensation at the National Safety Council
The National Safety Council (NSC) is a tax-exempt, non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization focused on public safety and specifically, preventable injuries and death in the workplace and on the road in the United States. Based in Itasca, Illinois, NSC is overseen by 29 voting members of the governing body, 28 of whom are independent. The most recent IRS From 990 (2017 for the year ending June 30, 2018) lists 40 directors/trustees, 30 (75%) of whom are male while 10 (25%) are female. Read more
How Revenue is Spent at the National Safety Council
The National Safety Council (NSC) is a tax-exempt, non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization focused on public safety and specifically, preventable injuries and death in the workplace and on the road in the United States.
Based in Itasca, Illinois, NSC is a member organization (which is unusual for a 501 (c) 3) with more than 50,000 members who reportedly pay $300-$400 annually. However, membership dues only accounted for about 14% of revenue (according to the most recent Form 990 tax return filed for the year ending June 30, 2018), or $8 million. $8 million divided by 50,000 equals an average annual membership fee of $160, which means there are less members than reported or the members are paying significantly less than the membership cost posted. Read more
Executive Compensation at the National Fire Protection Association
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is a tax-exempt, non-profit 501 (c) (3) based in Quincy, MA that is known as the “codes and standards” organization to minimize risk and the effects of fire.
The NFPA generates about $80-$90 million annually and does not generally spend as much as they bring in which is how the organization has come to accumulate nearly $300 million in net assets.
In 2018, the NFPA reported total revenue of $82 million which primarily came from 4 sources: sale of inventory ($41 million), training, meetings, and conferences ($16 million), royalties, gains, and investment income ($14 million), and membership dues ($11 million including $2 million from the government from three classes of members: director, voting, and non-voting). Read more
