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“She’s been the strongest advocate for the mayor’s extreme position, the best spokeswoman for his bumper sticker mentality,” Murphy said.
Madtes realizes the ramifications of the win are “a big deal” for labor and he says that the victory is a result of hard work for several weeks by people who were concentrated on the campaign. “The biggest contribution was the one-on-one conversations you had with your membership that lived in the district. Nothing can ever replace this. I’m proud of all the hard work we put into this campaign,” Madtes told members in an email circulated over the weekend.
“As the president of the South Florida Central Labor Council, this was the greatest showing of solidarity I have seen in my 4 years as president. I truly believe the South Florida labor movement has earned new respect in our community,” he added
“Usually incumbents don’t lose,” Madtes told Ladra. “Nobody’s run a campaign like this with organized labor, in, well I can’t remember when. It feel
s good that we were able to work in harmony and get it done.”
The local International Association of Firefighters union that covers Miami-Dade’s firefighters and paramedics was also super active from the beginning. You could always find two of them during early voting at the Coral Reef Library. And on election day, there were more than 100 firefighters spread out through the district.
“This even brought out retirees,” said union president Al Cruz. “The retirees and active firefighters were working side by side.”
Cruz told Ladra that he and PBA President John Rivera had discussed early on about getting behind one single candidate for the election. “We knew that was the only way we were going to be able to do this with our resources,” he said.
So, it’s a strategy we might see again? “Absolutely,” Cruz said. “We showed what we can do.
“It took a lot of work but our department has gotten a new sense of worth. They feel they can make a difference and so they’re more motivated.”
“This is huge,” Matdes said, referring specifically to how the win illustrates what the county labor unions can do when they band together — like a coalition, which is the word Levine used in her victory speech.
“What it means is that when we work together, organized labor, we can make a difference, and put a candidate in office who will listen to workers and worker’s needs,” Madtes said.
That’s not to say he knows he’s got a vote every time.
“But at least we can have a direct dialogue with a commissioner who is open to receive us and not someone 
who will shut the door on us as if we’re bad people.”
Employees told me that they supported Levine not because she promised anything, but because she represented one thing they did not have with Bell: Hope.
This victory may offer them a new pathway for more hope.
This coordination by unions to help a candidate close to their cause not only shows their leadership and members alike what they can do when they put their efforts together, it shows the electeds what unions can do when they put their efforts together. You know, other than fill the commission chambers with green shirts or yellow shirts or blue shirts or rainbow color-of-the-month shirts to speak one after another about the injustices and abuses they take while electeds use them as scapegoats — an approach that has been met with zero results.
Just showing that you will take those complaints to the ballot box, that you are able to raise tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds of volunteers, will have more of an impact. Wait and see.
Because Gimenez and others have been, in effect, put on notice: The employees will not be pushed around anymore. They will, instead, push back.
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There is a lot of agree non-participating voting eligible individuals, pouring that evil out to the public. Give Peace A Chance, at least 100 days. To this new face at the BCC.
What I can’t understand is how does the removal of Lynda Bell benefits union employees at the bargining table ? Would somebody please answer that for me
[…] Read related story: Unions flex political muscle in Miami-Dade commission upset […]
any one who wants to understand what the meaning and true nature of fire and police in our communities needs to look beyond their pre- and ill- conceived notions. would you leave home every day KNOWING you may hot return. how selfish and ignorant can a community be. are you doing a tour of duty for 2 hours, placing all personal comfort and safety saide for those who live in your community? how dare anyone attack, condemn, insult that which they know nothing but incorrect political rhetoric about?
Of course the unions targeted the weakest candidate of mayor’s veto block, they are not stupid. At best, given the overwhelming advantage of an incumbent, the union work is only a counterbalance to incumbency. they helped but Cava did the heavy lift.
You really think the ballot and anything to to with it? Yes lots of Democrats in south Dade went out over that hot Crist-Rich race? If anything the 26 house race may have attracted some rebublican voters.
BTW enjoy your labor day a day off brought to you by UNIONS, but your garbage got picked up, the parks are open and police and fire are working, and many are working for free today because of one of the concessions in their contract the mayor wasn’t giving back.
And while a lot has been made of the mayor’s 180 degree shift in labor relations since the election, he offered many of these givebacks in the weeks running up to the election when he saw his girl was sinking in the polls. Some say it was a naked attempt to blunt employees anger because it turns out, lot of the county workers live in district 8.
In fact some unions were happy with it and took his offer before the election proving sometimes just swinging a big stick will do the trick.
“Someone asked what the average salary of a county employee was. Moon said it was $65,000. Then they were asked how many people made more than $100,000. The answer was 660 but that is not out of the 25,000 or so employees countywide. That is just out of the employees not covered by a union.”
– See more at: https://politicalcortadito.com/2014/08/30/gimenez-small-crowd-town-hall-meeting/#sthash.5NN5Q7PW.dpuf
The non union employees are very much bringing home the bacon but lay low so that the unions take all of the vilification from the Mayor. Add up how much the 660 are compensated. How many union employees’ salaries add up to these 660? How many are appointees? How many were earned through an interview process?
Even county workers are tax payers we pay our own salary
“the push for recall is less than inspiring.”
It has yet begun.
So the employees win? Does that mean tax payers lost?
The Cava win only brings back the Katy influence back to the Commission. These seat has been left leaning and democrat for a long time. Bell’s win in 2010 was a factor of a republican down ballot push. This election should no republican issue for the base to come out.
The union went all in on the easiest seat for them to win. They didn’t play in Souto’s or Diaz’s. Zapata wants to reduce salaries and Suarez wants to cap them. The Cava win does make the commission battles more interesting, but make no mistake there still is a strong anti-tax, anti-government / employee and live within your means sentiment.
Xavier can speak for himself but I think you’ll see he wants to cap county salaries at $100 grand.. Not a problem with the unions since nobody here has a salary anywhere close to that.
He has other ideas which target management structure. Simply put, less chiefs more indians.
He’s proposing cutting overpaid and top heavy management. The foxes who guard the hen house, the ones who review commissioners’ proposal for feasibility. I wonder why his proposals have fallen on deaf ears for so long?
Feel really good. Lynda see you soon.
“Because Gimenez and others have been, in effect, put on notice: The employees will not be pushed around anymore. They will, instead, push back “………..and boy, does it feel good!
I’m not that impressed. First Bell’s win four years ago was nothing if not a fluke. Her husbands loss in her base portended something even worse to come. She was a flawed and weak candidate – thus the huge target on her back. That being said the unions went all in to take her out, every stop was pulled, nothing held back and the margin of victory was less than impressive. Go ahead and try that with Diaz or Souto…oh that’s right, they didn’t. The Mayor is probably just a bad a candidate as Bell if not worse – he lacks charisma and the common touch. That being said the push for recall is less than inspiring. An all out effort to get the mayor may not play as well countywide as it did in Pinecrest. I suppose his flaws could help bring him down but the fact taxes have held steady is going to play well vs. the unions.
Excellent article and observation.