Dear DCSMEC members and colleagues:

We have to stop this madness! The level of anxiety, hostility and frustration are off the charts which does not improve the situation. Members ratting out their brothers, the insane rumors and misinformation have to stop, so let’s cut to the chase. Your union, DCSMEC did not create or conspire with Management to create the lay-off list (our input was to make it as fair as possible), we brought all the information we had back to the Executive/Negotiating teams to make decisions (we had them talk directly to the District Superintendent of Human Resources) and we have not lied to the membership about anything. The unacceptable and unfortunate truth is that we at DCSMEC are aware that much of the misinformation is being distributed and promoted by our Managers and Administrators. We have already contacted upper Management and requested they take action against those employees for their unprofessional behavior.

If you are a union member and need accurate information about what is going on, then talk to your Steward, Yard Representative or call the union (305) 477-6002. We have nothing to hide and nothing to gain by hurting our members. Ask yourself, why would you’re E-Board and Negotiating Team vote unanimously on this temporary pay reduction if they did not believe that this was the only way to save jobs? The budget crisis is real, the threats to our jobs are real and they were really going to lay off over 300 DCSMEC maintenance employees! If you have not already had the opportunity to read the letter I wrote to the membership on April 7, 2011 then I encourage you to please take the time now. It is posted on our web site at www.dcsmec.org

In closing, let me say that this has been the most difficult decision that our union has ever had to make. We had a small window of opportunity (two days) to figure out how to save our jobs in maintenance or we could have taken the cowards way out, and did nothing, blamed it all on management and watched our members hit the street. Those were our choices but we chose to fight for our members jobs (knowing that no matter what we did we were dammed). We wish there could have been more time and better choices but considering the situation, we still believe we did what was best for our members.

Yours in solidarity: Joe Cortese
This newsletter has been reviewed and distributed with the consent of Keith Love.
May 2011