HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM: GST CERVANTES FOUND TO HAVE SPENT IAM MEMBER DUES ON FIRST CLASS FLYING AND PER DIEM EXPENSES ON UNOFFICIAL WEEKEND TRIPS

To all IAM Members:

Our campaign yesterday discovered that current GST Dora Cervantes flew first class from her designated home base of Upper Marlboro, MD to Houston, Texas on countless weekends and IAM members paid for every penny of her unofficial first class travel. GST Cervantes also fraudulently submitted for per diem expenses during her personal travel and submitted mileage expenses for her personal vehicle, which is illegal when official business is not conducted. GST Cervantes has visited Houston 50 times more than any other city where IAM Members are located. 

These questionable activities have been occurring for almost a decade since Cervantes was appointed to IAM Headquarters in 2012. The IAM also provided Dora with an approximately $30,000 stipend to move from Houston to the Washington DC area.

On her official Weekly Reports, Cervantes claims she was “training” and “meeting” with members of Local Lodge 2198 on weekends. There is absolutely no evidence that any “training” or “meetings” had ever taken place. The current President, Vice President and former Vice President of Local Lodge 2198 do not recall the GST ever conducting training or any other meetings at LL2198.

This is a prime example of why change is needed in the IAM GST’s Office. If GST Cervantes wanted to travel from her designated home base of Upper Marlboro, MD to Houston on countless weekends over the past decade, she should have paid for those trips with the $320,000 salary that IAM Members pay her each year. Charging IAM Members for her flights, then submitting “per diem” of almost $100 per day and also charging IAM members for mileage on her personal vehicle for her personal leisure travel is truly unconscionable. In fact, Cervantes removed a former District 141 Secretary Treasurer for similar acts of fraud. The difference is, Dora’s illegitimate expenses are likely 50 times worse.

IAM Members deserve better. IAM members deserve a General Secretary Treasurer that will not defraud them and abuse the power of the GST’s Office. There will be more to come regarding this sad and unfortunate turn of events, and my campaign will release more details as they become available.

Please remember that if you want to vote by absentee ballot you must mail in your request by April 12, 2021. Your absentee ballot must be postmarked by April 22, 2021 and received by April 29, 2021 for your vote to be counted. In person voting will take place on Saturday, April 24, 2021 between the hours of 6:00 AM to 8:00 AM and 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Please check with your local lodge to determine your voting location.

Request an absentee ballot here.

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—Challenger and Candidate for IAM GST Ian Scott-Anderman

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