THE ONLY THING DORA ‘RECUSED’ HERSELF FROM WAS LEADERSHIP AND INTEGRITY IN DUES THEFT SCANDAL2/27/2021  In a sad and pathetic attempted explanation for current GST Dora’s Cervantes’ attempted cover-up of more than $115,000 in IAM members’ dues money at Local Lodge 2198, Dora’s home local, the Cervantes campaign claims she “recused” herself from doing the right thing and investigating the theft by her sister, Norma Ramirez, and two others because of her family connection to the crime. This is just another lie in a growing list of lies by Dora and those who support her.
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 As our campaign has grown and gained momentum over the past few weeks, it has become clear that my opponent, and the people she has engaged to represent her, have been resorting to casting empty aspersions and hollow criticisms that are very reminiscent of our recent federal election. In my 28 years as a dedicated IAM member, I have held a variety of positions in the service of our great Union. My next endeavor is to fulfill the duties of one of the most important positions in the IAM, the office of General Secretary-Treasurer, and I believe it is important that you understand what qualifies me to hold that position.
For the last 16+ years I have been a Financial Officer for the IAM. During the first 10 years I served as Secretary-Treasurer of Local Lodge 1635. After that, for the past 6 years and currently, I have served as the Secretary-Treasurer of one of the IAM’s largest Districts, the 20,000+ strong Air Transport District Lodge 142. In fact, compared to my opponent and her predecessors, I am likely to be the most qualified and experienced candidate to ever seek the office of IAM General Secretary Treasurer. My service at both LL1635 and DL142 are beyond reproach and are publicly available for all to see. If you have worked with me on any issue, you know that what I am saying is true. I have been a loyal IAM Secretary-Treasurer at every level of the IAM and an officer who has fought hard to protect and defend IAM members’ dues money. I have not only followed, but more importantly, believed in and strived to protect the Constitution and the Association. Now, compare that to the current GST, Dora Cervantes. Prior to her appointment as the IAM GST, she never spent one day as the head Financial Officer at any level of our union. You can verify this by checking her own bio. And after she was appointed to the GST position, the IAM had to assign two different General Vice Presidents to be at her side to make sure she did the job. That plan failed miserably as Dora is now under scrutiny by the criminal division of the Department of Labor for attempting to cover up the theft of at least $100,000 of IAM members' dues money. The theft of IAM members’ dues happened in Dora’s home Local Lodge 2198 and her sister, Norma Ramirez, was Local Lodge 2198 President and who signed all the checks. I wouldn’t call any of the above “experience” or “integrity.” I call it inexperience and dishonor and possibly criminal. I promise that I will never defraud this Union out of anything whatsoever, or allow it to be defrauded, if within my power to prevent it. To all of this, I most solemnly pledge my sacred word of honor. I'd like to thank the sisters and brothers from Sky Harbor Local Lodge 2559 for their kind letter of support.  CLICK HERE TO PRINT AND DISTRIBUTE THE LETTER.IN A DESPERATE AND DESPICABLE MOVE, DORA CERVANTES DIRECTS STAFF TO SPREAD LIE ABOUT MY CANDIDACY2/20/2021  To be crystal clear, I am running for the position of General Secretary Treasurer (GST) of the IAM and I will win. Dora Cervantes knows this and now she has resorted to desperate and despicable behavior. Unfortunately, I am not surprised by her actions since the IAM yesterday admitted to an ongoing Department of Labor criminal investigation surrounding her and her sister. As well as those GVP’s who neglected to uphold their oath of office. Cervantes clearly allowed her own local to be defrauded.
It has come to my campaign’s attention that at Dora’s direction, that an Education Representative from the Winpisinger Center is claiming that I will not continue my candidacy for GST. This individual being directed by Dora is contacting IAM members is telling them I will drop out of the race in a sad attempt to reduce participation in democratic process. Dora knows that the more people who vote, she will lose. The only place I will be going in the near future is 9000 Machinists Place to restore integrity to the GST’s office. This kind of dishonest, abhorrent behavior is the very reason why we need change. Where is our leadership? Why are they allowing an appointed paid staff member to lie to IAM members and interfere with the IAM’s electoral process? Where is their integrity? Where is General Vice President Brian Bryant’s honor, since W3 Education Representatives come under his direct supervision? I would also like to ensure my supporters that we have proof of this interference and we will notify the Department of Labor regarding these violations of federal law. It is sickening that the Cervantes campaign has resorted to illegal and immoral tactics because she knows full well she cannot win fair and square. I promise that I will never defraud this Union out of anything whatsoever, or allow it to be defrauded, if within my power to prevent it. To all of this, I most solemnly pledge my sacred word of honor. My campaign for GST will not stop until we win on April 24, 2021 and integrity is restored to the IAM GST’s office.  The IAM today admitted that the Department of Labor (DOL) is conducting an investigation regarding the theft of IAM members' dues at Dora Cervantes' home local while her sister was president of the local lodge.
THE GST Department under Dora looked the other way when leadership was needed. PLEASE READ THE BLOOMBERG LAW ARTICLE HERE. I send my heartfelt thanks to Local Lodge 141 for such a strong endorsement of our campaign to restore integrity to the IAM GST's office. THANK YOU MOTOR CITY!   In a letter issued to all IAM Grand Lodge and Special Representatives, IAM International President Robert Martinez threatened the livelihoods of those dedicated IAM representatives and members if they do not support the re-election of current General Secretary Treasurer (GST) Dora Cervantes.
I am appalled by this anti-democratic behavior, which was certainly orchestrated by GST Cervantes, as should every member if the IAM. IAM Grand Lodge and Special Representatives work tirelessly each and every day on behalf of IAM members, including myself. They are IAM members. Part of their job is to ensure that IAM elections are conducted fairly and impartially, and that is exactly what they have done during this nominations process. Their job is not to bully IAM members to nominate or not nominate any candidate. IAM members nominated and voted for me to be on the ballot for the position of GST, and I have received the requisite support to challenge GST Cervantes in the election to be held on Saturday, April 24, 2021. IP Martinez and GST Cervantes now believe that acting like anti-union corporate bully thugs is the best path for GST Cervantes to remain in office. They are nervous and they should be. GST Cervantes wasn’t even nominated in her own local lodge, Local Lodge 2198. She was too lazy to even nominate herself. I not only received the endorsement from IAM Local Lodge 2198 but I received this letter of support. This is an example of why GST Cervantes is ready to destroy the lives of those who have the audacity to oppose her. Ms. Cervantes knows she can’t win on her record of corruption by attempting to cover up the theft of IAM members’ dues, running budget deficits, saddling local and district lodges with crippling pension contributions and her behavior of disrespecting IAM members and staff. It’s so sad that we have leaders in our great union that tout IAM democracy whenever they get behind a microphone but when they are running for a position they act like anti-union bully corporate thugs. If I am elected in April, I guarantee I will never, ever support such anti-union thuggish behavior.  Last night, 13 IAM Local Lodges around the United States conducted their local membership votes to determine which candidate their lodge would officially nominate and endorse for the position of Grand Lodge Secretary Treasurer (GST). At every local lodge in which Ian Scott-Anderman sought a local lodge’s endorsement, she won. This is the first time in the history of the IAM that that a challenger to an IAM Executive Council position has won every local lodge endorsement sought, and so many total local lodge endorsements.“I would like to thank every IAM member who participated in our democratic process,” said Ms. Scott-Anderman. “Change is coming to the GST’s office. Integrity will be restored. With your support we will end the corruption, mismanagement and unprofessionalism that has stained our union under Ms. Cervantes’ tenure.”
 Dear IAM Member,
I am formally announcing my support for Ms. Ian Scott-Anderman’s candidacy for General Secretary Treasurer (GST) of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). I believe Ian is the best person to reform our great union’s finances and restore integrity to the IAM GST’s office. She has the courage and integrity to root out pockets of corruption in our union without favoritism and to reduce the crippling burden of a 30 percent contribution level imposed on IAM members’ district and local lodges to fund the IAM Staff Retirement plan for every participant at every level of our union. Perhaps, and most importantly, she has the courage to restore the letter and spirit of democracy in our union, which we need now more than ever. I am honoured to have the support and endorsement of IAM Local Lodge 2198, Dora Cervantes’ home local.
When I launched my campaign, I stated that one of its central aims is to restore integrity to the IAM General Secretary’s Office. For this reason, I feel the need to explain to IAM members exactly what I mean when I say restore integrity. I take no pleasure in the following but it is my responsibility to be truthful with the IAM members I seek to represent and explain to them an example of the current GST’s lack of integrity. I am very proud that General Secretary Treasurer (GST) Dora Cervantes’ own Local Lodge 2198 has not only endorsed me to replace her, but I also appreciate that they wrote a very strong letter explaining why. In that letter, the Local Lodge 2198 officers mention how the previous officers, led by Dora’s sister, misappropriated union dues. |