DCSMEC wishes you a Happy Spring Break. Please enjoy family, friends, and BBQ’s. This is a time to relax, refresh, and renew. As we say goodbye to winter, we look forward to sunny days. Remember to hydrate and enjoy the spring-filled days.

We have a General Membership Meeting today Tuesday, March 18, 2025. The meeting will be held at the DCSMEC hall located at 8250 NW 27th Street (Suit 308) Doral, FL 33122. The meeting starts promptly at 4:30pm and normally concludes no later than 7:30pm.

This is an election year for all DCSMEC officers, Arthur Bowra and Rolando Sardinas will not be running for any DCSMEC positions, new leadership positions will be available and it will determine the future direction of DCSMEC. I suggest you be present at this meeting to get all the latest information. Consider running for an open position in your Union and take advantage to get all your questions answered by the current leadership.

The DCSMEC bylaws states nominations for open positions will be at the September general membership meeting, Election of officers will be held on the second Thursday in October by secret ballot, and Installation of Officers shall be held at the next Regular Bi-Monthly General Membership meeting (November general membership meeting).

We encourage you to attend the meeting and get all of your questions answered. Please refrain from parking on the assigned/numbered spaces. Park only in unmarked spaces. Please be advised that building management will tow all improperly parked vehicles. All meetings are strictly for members only.

We have a General Membership Meeting on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. The meeting will be held at the DCSMEC hall located at 8250 NW 27th Street (Suit 308) Doral, FL 33122. The meeting starts promptly at 4:30pm and normally concludes no later than 7:30pm.

This is an election year for all DCSMEC officers, Arthur Bowra and Rolando Sardinas will not be running for any DCSMEC positions, new leadership positions will be available and it will determine the future direction of DCSMEC. I suggest you be present at this meeting to get all the latest information. Consider running for an open position in your Union and take advantage to get all your questions answered by the current leadership.

The DCSMEC bylaws states nominations for open positions will be at the September general membership meeting, Election of officers will be held on the second Thursday in October by secret ballot, and Installation of Officers shall be held at the next Regular Bi-Monthly General Membership meeting (November general membership meeting).

We encourage you to attend the meeting and get all of your questions answered. Please refrain from parking on the assigned/numbered spaces. Park only in unmarked spaces. Please be advised that building management will tow all improperly parked vehicles. All meetings are strictly for members only.

DCSMEC hopes you are enjoying the half hour early release before a holiday. Happy President’s Day to all the DCSMEC members, today we honor the dedication and service of our leaders and celebrate the vision, courage, and leader ship of those who have guided our country forward. May God Bless you and may God Bless America in Peace and Glory always.

Some members were concerned that the insurance paperwork they filled out did not represent the new bargain (I.e. two times their annual base salary) in board-paid life insurance coverage. DCSMEC addressed the subject with management. Below is the response from Management. I hope this addresses your concerns:

Good afternoon, Mr. Sardinas,

I want to first express my appreciation for our conversation this morning. As discussed, please accept this email as a follow-up to document the status of this negotiated benefit.

As discussed during the 2025 Bargaining Sessions, we negotiated through “Proposal #15” that employees represented by your unit will receive, effective January 1, 2025, two times their annual base salary in board-paid life insurance coverage.

However, as mentioned, the system has not yet been updated to reflect this negotiated amount, and employee records still show one-time the annual base salary.

Therefore, please consider this email as our commitment to the following:

• The coverage will be enforced retroactively to January 1, 2025.
• Employees who wish to cancel any current additional coverage they are purchasing will be allowed to do so. However, if they wish to increase their coverage in the future, they must go through the underwriting process, pending the carrier’s approval.
• We are closely monitoring death claims. If any employee represented by this unit passes away, we will manually override the system so that MetLife pays the correct amount.
• The system update is projected to be completed by the end of this month, or at the latest by March.
• Once the change is made, we will communicate this to the employees in your unit, allowing them the option to reduce their optional life coverage if they wish, as well as the importance of reviewing their beneficiary designation.

My sincere apologies for the delay in updating this benefit, and I want to assure you that your members will receive the negotiated coverage. We are also available to answer any questions they may have.

I appreciate your understanding and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions or need further information.

Thank you.

Rosa Novo

Administrative Benefits Director

Office of Risk and Benefits Management

Just a reminder, today (January 27, 2025) is the insurance seminar. In 2025, DCSMEC continues the “Year of Knowledge” with our first presentation for understanding your health insurance needs, options and rights. Specifically, we will cover the following: how to best maximize your insurance needs, how to select the best doctors available for your individual needs, and how they are selected by your insurance plan. We will also discuss short term & long term disability, and what insurance plan is the best for your family, the importance of assigning beneficiaries. DCSMEC receives an infinite number of calls every month related to insurance coverage. This is your opportunity to get acquainted with the options available to you and your family.

The presentation will be delivered by Rosa Novo (RISK BENEFITS MANAGEMENT). She is the head of Insurance for all of M-DCPS and a very distinguished healthcare professional who is nationally recognized as a leader in her field. All stewards need to acquire knowledge on the subject in order to provide our membership with correct and concise information. We will also provide free gifts and prizes courtesy of our insurance providers. We urge all members to participate and bring your spouse, however, we highly urge our newest members who have dependent’s.

The insurance seminar will be on January 27, 2025 start time 4:30 P.M. After the presentation we will have a question and answer session to address any concerns you may have. The seminar will be held at DCSMEC HALL located at 8250 NW 27 Street (Suit 308) Doral, Fl. 33122. We look forward to seeing you on Monday, January 27, 2025.

All DCSMEC meetings and functions are strictly for members only. 

Attention all members, just a reminder you should see the retroactive pay on your pay statement. It has been paid. However, some members are reporting they did not receive it. If you did not receive the retroactive pay on this payment, you must report it to your payroll clerk and to the DCSMEC Union. 

Please let us know if you did not receive the proper payment via DCSMECBA@gmail.com provide your name, employee number, and let us know you did not receive proper compensation. DCSMEC will provide a list of all who did not receive payment to Compensation in order to expedite proper payment

Attention all members, you should see the retroactive pay on your pay statement. It has been paid. However, some members are reporting they did not receive it. If you did not receive the retroactive pay on this payment, you must report it to your payroll clerk and to the DCSMEC Union. 

Please let us know if you did not receive the proper payment via DCSMECBA@gmail.com provide your name, employee number, and let us know you did not receive proper compensation. DCSMEC will provide a list of all who did not receive payment to Compensation in order to expedite proper payment. 

The General Membership Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, January 21, 2025, has been cancelled due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.  

The seats for the Insurance Seminar are limited. If you have not reserved yours, hurry up and reserve before they are gone. You can call the DCSMEC office at 305-477-6002, text Arthur Bowra, or email us at DCSMECBA@gmail.com – Give your name, employee number, and let us know you wish to participate in the insurance seminar. Remember: only dues paying members are allowed to participate in DCSMEC events. 

The next payment will include your retroactive compensation (1/24/25). I hope everyone is having a safe and enjoyable long weekend holiday.

For the first time ever DCSMEC will allow you to bring your spouse to the meeting, this is for members only. The presentation is oriented to teach your spouse about our insurance plans and how to maximize benefits. 

In 2022, DCSMEC brought back the “Year of Knowledge”. In 2025, DCSMEC continues the “Year of Knowledge” with our first presentation for understanding your health insurance needs, options and rights. Specifically, we will cover the following: how to best maximize your insurance needs, how to select the best doctors available for your individual needs, and how they are selected by your insurance plan. We will also discuss short term & long term disability, and what insurance plan is the best for your family, the importance of assigning beneficiaries. DCSMEC receives an infinite number of calls every month related to insurance coverage. This is your opportunity to get acquainted with the options available to you and your family.

The presentation will be delivered by Rosa Novo (RISK BENEFITS MANAGEMENT). She is the head of Insurance for all of M-DCPS and a very distinguished healthcare professional who is nationally recognized as a leader in her field. All stewards need to acquire knowledge on the subject in order to provide our membership with correct and concise information. We will also provide free gifts and prizes courtesy of our insurance providers. We urge all members to participate and bring your spouse, however, we highly urge our newest members who have dependent’s.

Seating is limited, so if you wish to participate you must reserve your seat in advance. To reserve and participate in the insurance seminar, please call 305-477-6002 and provide your name, employee number, a call back number and say you want to participate in the insurance seminar. Someone will call you back to confirm your reservation, or email us at (DCSMECBA@gmail.com) with all your information.

The insurance seminar will be on January 27, 2025 start time 4:30 P.M. After the presentation we will have a question and answer session to address any concerns you may have. The seminar will be held at DCSMEC HALL located at 8250 NW 27 Street (Suit 308) Doral, Fl. 33122. We look forward to seeing you on Monday, January 27, 2025.

All DCSMEC meetings and functions are strictly for members only. 

Please remember to RESERVE your seat so you can attend! And always remember to confirm your reservation with DCSMEC.