"To the union brothers and sisters of SEIU 250 I would like to send you greetings from Massachusetts. My name is Jim Misercola and I own and operate this web site. Currently my union President Mike Eosco is taking time away from our many issues here at local 1 to sell the IAEP to you. While you can plainly see by surfing this site that he has never used it to communicate with us, he obviously has time to fly to California at our expense to sell you on the IAEP. According to a survey done by NAGE President David Holway, 2/3 of the respondents were unsatisfied with the level of service they recived from Eosco/IAEP. I found Mr. Holway to be a nice person but was a little concerned he did not know the difference between an EMT and a Paramedic. Furthermore Mr. Eosco himself has admitted in type that communication here needs work. Our forum here is the best tool we have and he has ignored it contrary to the orders of his superiors to use it. Even IAEP rep Art Sanda has tried unsuccessfully to persuade our embattled President to help us here. However this is just the tip of the iceberg. Mr. Eosco also has an internal audit on his hands ordered by David Holway into our Locals financial status. President Eosco was also reprimanded by NAGE President Holway for railroading yours truly out of a steward position by manipulating the E Board and using coercive actions against our treasurer Vito Jurgela. Mike Eosco also has had a history of poorly servicing or not servicing at all many grievances of union members. During my stint as a Local 1 V.P. I talked to numerous brothers and sisters who were ignored and never recieved the support they were legally entitled to as an IAEP dues paying member. Subsequently SEIU/NAGE V.P. Barbara Osgood had to launch a probe into the matter that yielded some messy findings. Still, with all of these grossly abusive and highly incompetent actions, Mr. Holway found no substantial reason to remove him from any position. Now this same individual is trusted with, and has the confidence of the same superiors to go to California to convince you to see it his way! I am sure that he will downplay all of these truths. I am sure he will call me a divider. I am sure that he will spin and doubletalk. This forum speaks for itself and his bosses realize its value to the members here. As you folks read the many posts here yopu will come to see the light. We attract more people here than he can to a general meeting. We provide a place for those ignored and forgotten to be heard. It is a sad commentary when a union President places his personal animosity for the truth above the best interests of the local. I have been unfortunate enough to see the ugly side of Mr. Eosco. You are seeing the used car salesman side of this man. When you listen to him and others speak to you, consider our frustrations and remember that a man is only as good as his word. Jim Misercola Local 1 Forum.com"

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Last Night an E board meeting was held via conference call with Mike Eosco, who is in California trying to recruit for IAEP. I just thought I would fill you all in on what was discussed and table during this meeting. First I brought to his attention that we needed an immediate addressing of the fact that numerous members of the local don't have disability insurance as of Sept. This is a serious matter and needs the full attention of both the Board and Mike at this time. The implementation of both the Mouth Swabs and "black boxes" were also talked about and the ramifications of them on the membership. I also pushed my Idea that we approach AMR about allowing full time employees to fill their shifts with a per diem at no loss of PTO, sort of a give-away type policy, that is currently in effect with some of our west coast affiliates. One of the items that was discussed was the fact that we still do not have a firm contract in place. The fact that we are still going back and forth with AMR legal about the wording of Section 12 (no pun intended) which deals with our benefits package, this is supposedly going to be rectified by the end of September. Another item talked about was allowing some of the members, mostly intermediates and basics working P-B shifts, to upgrade in place, while this is a nice motion it doesn't benefit the majority of the membership so I was opposed to it on principle. There were votes taken on two measures last night. The first to allot money for the upgrade of the IAEP website and the second towards the funding of a Harbor cruise some night during the fall in Boston Harbor. My own agenda during this meeting was towards one goal, and that is the fact that a good part of this membership, thru either negligence or error didn't sign up for disability and that I believe is something that needs to be addressed tomorrow not in two weeks or in a month. I know that Mike also called Scott Norton about the disability as did I, I requested that a tally be made from benefits about who has disability and who doesn't. I am trying to find ways that we can get these fellow members either enrolled in the company offered plan or into something that will at least assist them if they get injured. I feel that Mike was taken out west by the national at the worst time, due to our still working out the wording of our contract, which we did ratify for good or bad back in February. I know that he will make all the calls he can while he is out there on the West coast. I plan on talking to AMR management as much as possible about this potential problem. Also we are attempting to get a By-laws and fund raising committee of the ground anyone interested or anyone who has problems or concerns about anything except the friggin Red Sox , please feel free to contact me at anytime. Thanks ...wanted you guys to know what's going on. Mike Miller milleremt@aol.com"

"Some one tell me why would Mike Eosco be touting the stellar acheivements of the IAEP in California when this local is a complete tird thanks to his inactions? To call his own constituents who are trying desperately to change the union for the better, "whinners" is another mind blowing Eoscoism. It just goes to show you his lack of understanding for those he is supposed to serve. Even Barbara Osgood and David Holway see the local forum as an invaluable commmunications tool. The people who have come online recently in other states will be incensed to be called whinners. Eoscos dismissive attitude for his own constituents is his downfall. That is why we have an E Board that thinks he is an idiot and a membership that just does not care anymore. Instead of congratulating or encouraging folks in this arena, he has chosen to be arrogant and mock them. Just another Eosco fiasco. "

"Someone who didn't have the courage to put their name to their post wrote this... <snip>"They finally posted something on the union board from the NLRB that states >I don't have to belong to this Union to continue to work at AMR. That's not what >the Union told us in orientation when I started a couple years ago!! Think of >all the union dues they owe us for tricking us to join. I remember Eosco telling >us at orientation that to work for AMR you had to be in the union! As a per diem >employee I will no longer be contibuting to the coffers of the IAEP" <snip> I must clarify a few things. First, go back and re-read that posting. It does say that you don't have to be a member of the union, BUT you must continue to pay your "fair share" to the union for barganing, etc. that the union provides for you. You will still be required to contribute that portion. The only portion you do not have to pay would be the portion formerly listed on paychecks as "COPE". Your fair share portion is currently $14.40. COPE would be about $0.60. Guess what. COPE hasn't been taken out of anyone's paycheck for several years now! In fact, looking at my old pay stubs, the last time cope was taken out of our checks was, 12/20/01, before a change to a new payroll system in Jan.'02. You certianly have the right to not be a union member, but you will still be responsible for the "fair share" amount. Seeing as you would still be responsible for the same amount that is currently being taken out of your check, tell me why you would want to come out from under the umbrella of protection the union offers you, or give up your other rights/benefits as a member. The choice is yours. "

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