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An open letter to all MC Staff and Union Members, from your President...


Dear MC Staff,
   It may have been a long while since many of us have spoken, but as the President of Local 2380 of the MC Staff Union, under AFSCME Council 67, I would like to take a few minutes to Thank each and every one of you on behalf of your support of the MC Staff Union. Your Union Membership has been, and still is, very important to us and we need your continued support now more than ever. We have made a number of significant leaps and bounds since our inception and I have been very proud to represent such a group of talented and friendly people these many years. Montgomery College is a wonderful place to work and call home, and there are many great benefits of being a member of the MC Staff Union and AFSCME.

I wanted to update a few general announcements of great interest to all. Most noteworthy of late has been our on-going emergency negotiations we have been involved in. As you are aware, the US Economy is being hit hard and many all over the country are feeling the pain in the form of furloughs, layoffs, budget cuts, company closings and so forth. Montgomery College has also been hit with severe budget setbacks as has never been experienced before, and we in the Executive Board have been called to emergency negotiations to discuss the issues with management and seek resolutions. Beginning back in December and working thru the holiday break, your Union Executive Board members, who are all volunteers, have been busy working for you. We have been actively working with Management to help ease some of the cuts that employees may feel in FY10 and come up with options and alternates to the severe budget cuts and salary cuts as best as is possible. We can do this only because of your voices standing together with us, and those previously inactive members joining the Union and participating with their voices of concern have been a great supportive help. We can do even more with more voices as members--so if you know any staffer who has been hesitant to join the Union and sign a card, please share your experiences and why you support our efforts on your behalf. The MC Staff Union is setting a goal of a more visible presence in the near future, and members can look forward to hearing from us and seeing us around more often.  

Lastly, we have a new Union Contract due to begin negotiations coming up in 2009/2010. We have already begun preparing several of our issues to bring to management, but for us to be effective in achieving our goals for better change, we need your continued support and we need more members standing with us. We are furthering our MEMBERSHIP DRIVE and again we ask and encourage you to tell other staff members of your Union experiences and why you are a member, and let them know that without the Union working for them, they could not get the conditions and salary recognition and negotiation that we are fortunate to have. Unions gain strength from membership, and without its members a Union is powerless to afford the influences and take the measures needed to ensure that our workplaces stay fair and equitable and positive, and that every staff member regardless of position is employed with every opportunity affordable.

We need YOU, our Members, to help spread the word about the MC Staff Union and what it can do! Please help us help you!!

Once again, Your membership to the MC Staff union is important to us, in that it is only thru our numbers that we are able to negotiate and ensure working conditions here at MC continue to be as equitable, fair and beneficial to those who work so hard daily to ensure the success of the College & students. Thank You again for your continued support and membership, and we hope you will help us in gathering more members so that we can have a stronger voice in ensuring that any changes that occur as Montgomery College grows larger, it is not done at the cost of Staff employment rights, due compensations, or enjoyed benefits.


Thank You again and I look forward to our future together as a strong positive MC Staff Union.


Sincerely,
Liz

Liz Brandenburg,
President, MC Staff Union, Local 2380