DISTRICT LODGE 19 PDGC MIKE PERRY ENDORSES IAN; OFFERS SPECIFIC REASONS WHY, NOT CAMPAIGN RHETORIC

To All IAMAW Members,

 There comes a time when a change in leadership is necessary and this is the time. The change in the leadership that I am referring to is the change of leadership in the Grand Lodge General Secretary Treasurer Department.  That is why I am formally endorsing Sister IAN-Scott Anderman for General Secretary Treasurer.  Here is why I am endorsing Sister Anderman; she is a 28-year IAM member and is currently the Secretary Treasurer of District 142 (Transportation); one of the largest Districts in the IAM (larger than some IAM Territories). Prior to being elected as DL 142 S/T she was Secretary Treasurer of Local Lodge 1635 for 10 years. She also served LL 1635 as a Steward, Educator and has worked many organizing campaigns. She was a member of the Grand Lodge Law Committee, which she gave up seeking the office of General Secretary Treasurer.  Her knowledge, experience, skills, dedication, and integrity make her the most qualified and right person needed as our next General Secretary Treasurer. She will be a Member-Focused GST while protecting the Members and our Finances.   ​

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Dora Cervantes did not protect the finances of her own Local Lodge, which her sister, at the time, was the President. GST Cervantes turned a blind eye to the shortage (misappropriation) of her Local Lodge finances and did not take the appropriate action necessary to rectify the wrongdoing in a timely manner.

GST Cervantes is not a member focused IAM Leader. While in office, many complaints of unprofessionalism and the degrading of officers, members, and employees of our Grand Lodge, District and Local Lodges have been reported to our International President. Each time promises were made to address and correct the behavior of GST Cervantes, but nothing was ever done. These complaints fell on deaf ears and the unprofessionalism and degrading  behavior continues today. 

This happened in our own District. There was a Financial Secretaries class for Railroad Local Lodge Secretary Treasurers held at the WWW Training Center. Our District ST had prior permission to attend that class. He was there to support of our Local Lodge Financial Secretaries. However, on the first day of class, he was told by the instructor that GST Cervantes ordered that he was not permitted to attend the class and was then removed from the class. This was a missed opportunity for the District Lodge 19 Secretary Treasurer to build solidarity and a working relationships with our Railroad Financial Secretaries, which he and his staff deals with daily. No explanation given. No reason given. Just an order that he had to get out. An outright embarrassment to our District 19 Financial Secretaries. Clearly an unprofessional, degrading, and anti-member decision. The unprofessionalism of Cervantes, with the degrading of Officers and Members of our union, and ignoring the misappropriation of over $100,000 of IAM member funds shows her incompetence and lack of integrity as the IAM General Secretary Treasurer.

Our Union Leaders, at all levels of the IAM, are chosen to lead by a referendum vote by the membership.  Our Constitution and Circulars mandate that elections must be democratic, fair and without intimidation or coercion. However, the Cervantes team has found it necessary to take action that violates our democratic election process.

The first action taken, less than a week after the February nomination, Transportation Chief of Staff Joe Tiberi was demoted to a Communication Representative position. Brother Tiberi was falsely accused of being incompetent. There was no investigation. No evidence of incompetence on his part presented at the termination meeting. Brother Tiberi was not given any chance to present his side or even permitted to defend the unfounded charge. Transportation General Vice President Sito Pantoja, Chief of Staff Tiberi’s direct manager, was not consulted with or given a heads up. In fact, Brother Tiberi’s demotion took place while GVP Sito Pantoja was in surgery, which the International President was given advance notice of, and knew about. He found out that Brother Tiberi had been demoted while in the recovery room. A truly disrespectful and anti-union act. As union representatives we would be jumping down management throats for such an unfair action. There is only one explanation for this act; Brother Tiberi was demoted because Sister Ian Anderman was nominated by many Local Lodges in Transportation.

The next action taken was a memo from our International President to all the Grand Lodge and Special Representatives (GLR, SR) reminding them that they were appointed by him and must be loyal to him. He specifically pointed out that they must be loyal and nominate and support any candidate of his choosing. In this case, Dora Cervantes. In his memo he informed the GLRs and SRs that he ordered an investigation into the matter and any GLR or SR will be dealt accordingly if they deviate from supporting his candidate, Cervantes. GLRs and SRs are Members first and foremost. Their IAM Constitutional right is to support, campaign and vote for the candidate of their choosing without intimidation, coercion, and fear of retaliation.

I personally received a call from a Retired District Lodge 19 PDGC. He had not called me since he retired in 2006. He told me that he was worried that if I did not support the entire Executive Council, including GST Cervantes, that District Lodge 19 would be disbanded. He did not and could not give me any other reasons to support Cervantes. He also told me that Transportation GVP Sito Pantoja would not be able to protect us because he would be gone within a year. There is little doubt in my mind that he was indirectly attempting to coerce me into supporting GST Cervantes.

Why were these actions taken? Because Dora Cervantes does not deserve to be reelected as the General Secretary Treasurer. She has not earned, nor does she deserve another term. She knows it, the Executive Council knows it and more importantly, the membership knows it. The only path to victory for Cervantes is to silence the members by squashing their vote. 

Let me be perfectly clear “I 100% support the GL Executive Council” with only 1 exception, and that is the present GST Dora Cervantes.  
Please join me in supporting, campaigning, and voting for the most qualified Candidate for General Secretary Treasurer, IAN-SCOTT ANDERMAN.

Due to the Pandemic, I strongly suggest that, if you have not already done so, request an absentee ballot and mail in your vote. The Pandemic automatically qualifies members to vote by mail.  When requesting your mail in ballot, please remember that the Pandemic is a qualification for voting by mail. Voting by mail is safe, secure, and easy.

In Solidarity,
Mike Perry
President Directing General Chairman / Railroad Coordinator 

Title used only for identification purposes. Not produced with union resources. Union campaign material is NOT to be distributed on official union resources, equipment and/or publications, including social media sites.

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