The tragic events we witnessed at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas SHS in Broward, have prompted all educational institutions to re-examine safety procedures.

Safety is Paramount for our students and staff.

DCSMEC contractual language.

“All personnel shall be required to wear identification badges, including the employee’s name and a current picture, prepared and provided by the Board, in accordance with such policy”.

As the district implements more security in our schools DCSMEC is increasingly concerned about our members. Identification becomes critically important especially when in a stressful situation when everyone is scrambling for safety.

The school personnel knows who you are but outside forces don’t; your identification badge must be legible and current. Employees whose badges are damaged, worn-out or lost must immediately request a replacement badge from their administrator. Law Enforcement & Security personnel may need to identify you as an employee. Quickly.

If you have requested a new ID badge from management and it has not been provided, please contact DCSMEC immediately PH: (305) 477-6002 FAX: (305) 477-0806 or email dcsmecba@gmail.com your safety and wellness is our number one priority.

Attention: All Stewards

Our meetings are normally held at the Miami Free Zone 2315 NW 107 AVE. Doral, Fl. We look forward to seeing all our stewards and Union officers on Tuesday February 20, 2018.

Attention DCSMEC members, you may have experienced what looks like an over payment or a new tax savings on your pay stub, here is the explanation from M-DCPS payroll management.

The 2018 federal withholding tax tables were implemented with the paycheck of February 2, 2018. As a result, the “net” amount of your February 2, 2018 pay check may be different from previous paychecks.

Additionally, some employees experience a “refund” in the Federal taxes for the paycheck of January 19, 2018. This refund is “embedded” as part of the gross amount, and it was not part of the calculation to determine taxable income.

The pay check of February 16, 2018, will be lower, because it will NOT include this one time refund.

The nation is experiencing extraordinarily high influenza (flu) activity as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the CDC, the predominant virus is influenza A(H3N2).

There are several ways to protect yourself and your family. Health officials recommend getting a flu vaccine. It is safe and continues to be the best way to guard against the flu. More than 10,000 students and over 300 faculty and staff have received FREE flu vaccines through a partnership between Miami-Dade County Public Schools and Healthy Schools, LLC. A vaccination is recommended for everyone six months and older. It is still early in flu season, and not too late to get the vaccine.

Frequent hand-washing with soap and water is a great start to guard against the flu. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub. Remember to clean and disinfect hard surfaces and objects that may be contaminated with germs, including bathroom surfaces, kitchen counters and toys for children.

Knowing the symptoms of the flu is also critical to care and prevention. Symptoms can vary from mild to severe and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. If you or members of your family experience any of these, it is important to stay home for at least 24 hours. If symptoms linger, seeing a health care professional as soon as possible is the next best course of action.

DCSMEC  urges you to do all you can to keep you and your family safe and healthy during flu season it’s paramount. For more information, please visit https://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm.

I’d like to take this opportunity to commend the officers, yard representatives and stewards for your excellent service.

There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you’re committed to something you except no excuses, only results.

Your commitment and hard work has not gone unnoticed. This year (2017) has been extremely challenging for maintenance, our records reflect the commitment that the DCSMEC family provided to bring the district back to normality.

I would like to congratulate you and extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation for your dedication and enthusiasm. DCSMEC continues to strive in providing the best experience for it’s members and with a crew of your caliber who works from the heart, hence, automatically outshines the rest, it is almost a natural occurrence.

I hope to see all our representatives on Tuesday, December 19, for our end of the year appreciation meeting, you must know that the future is extremely bright for does that work with dedication and passion.

Best Regards,

Rolando Sardiñas

Business Representative