Monday, April 1, 2013

1. How It Began

April 1, 2013

Mr. Milton Hartman III
Project Manager
ISS Facility Services
1805 SE Hawthorne Rd.
Gainesville, FL 32641


Dear Mr. Hartman;

As West Florida bridge tenders learn of last December’s wage and benefit increase in South Florida we predictably react with disappointment then outrage that ISS did not share the same package with all of us. This letter is to notify ISS that your treatment of disparity among districts is unfair, a gross breach of trust, untenable and must cease.

Your failure to demonstrate good faith may force us to follow the lead of South Florida in organizing. Our position is that all employees performing the same job, for the same company, in the same state, under the same (ICA) state contract, should receive the same wages and benefits, at the same time.

Of the informed bridge tender votes we’ve received online so far the vast majority are strongly in favor of contacting the Operating Engineers Union. We know that comes at a price for both sides and instead suggest your voluntary demonstration of fairness. By offering immediate and continued parity in wages and benefits among all ISS Florida bridge tenders you can close this rift and repair our relationship before the fracture deepens.

This letter is a courtesy informing you of the dissatisfaction and rancor felt by your informed employees and of our intent. In the absence of your timely positive response we intend to fully inform all West Coast bridge tenders, rally them in support of collective bargaining and disclose our grievances to all interested parties.

We urge you to restore trust, avert the polarization that tends to accompany collective bargaining and avoid the embarrassment of open and wide disclosure. Our organizing remains in the nascent stage and with your cooperation will not need to proceed. We look forward to your timely positive response via email to exploitingtenders@gmail.com.


Sincerely,
The Organizing Committee

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