Last week Local 500 members showed they can oppose the Local 500 administration and win changes that benefit us instead of officers who do not hear members.

1. Amendment 2 PASSED. It requires the officers to establish a $100,000 fund for direct member benefits such as rebates on finger printing costs or testing costs that the union refuses to negotiate for us. Although the Local 500 officers opposed this idea, it passed by over 100 votes.

WHY DID TRANSPORTATION PRESIDENT BOB HERRONS OPPOSE THIS MEASURE TO HELP MEMBERS?

2. Amendment 1 narrowly escaped defeat. Although the Local 500 officers and Executive Board used the staff, local union phones, and Local 500 dues to mail letters to the homes of members, the measure had strong opposition and was nearly defeated.

WILL LOCAL 500 BOARD MEMBERS FOREGO THEIR RAISES UNTIL WE HAVE FAIR DUES THAT RECOGNIZE HOW LITTLE MONEY WE MAKE?

LESSONS LEARNED:

1. WE CAN WIN IN MAY. When the new officer election are held in 90 days or so, we can get rid of leaders who opposed member benefits, voted to give themselves automatic raises, and stopped the FAIR DUES COMMITTEE from finishing it's work!!!.

Our current leaders:

• refused to ask us what we wanted in our contract,
• refused to tell us before we voted on the new contract that they had bargained away our 40 hour guarantees, and
• were too uninformed to get something back from MCPS for our wage delay like the firefighters, teachers, and county workers did.