Local 199 Members Speak Out at County Budget Hearing

The Miami-Dade County Hall was filled with library and public worker supporters for the July 15th budget hearing to advocate restoring the library millage to $64 million, and end the concessions that were sacrificed three years ago. The Mayor presented his budget proposal, pitting working families against servicing Miami-Dade county residents. The politically constructed budget calls for a continuation of all contract concessions.

The contract concessions county employees agreed to three years ago – including furlough days, unpaid holidays, and healthcare cuts – are set to “snapback” on September 30th. The proposed budget eliminates those snapbacks along with several other rights workers have on the job. During the hearing, Mayor Gimenez blamed the budget deficit on “the unions” for being, “greedy and continuing to ask for more.”

Dwayne Symonette, Court Records Specialist and member of AFSCME Local 199, spoke at the hearing on behalf of his family and coworkers. Symonette’s testimony, reinforced that public workers are not greedy and that they are simply asking for what has already been taken from them. “Many of my coworkers have gone into bankruptcy and foreclosure because of these concessions…these concessions have made us the working poor,” said Symonette.

Fara Jacobson, Library Assistant III and AFSCME Local 199 member was one of over one hundred Miami-Dade residents who spoke on behalf of the library system. “The libraries need more support. We have old books, six libraries don’t have air conditioning, and we are understaffed. We can’t serve our community if we aren’t given the necessary resources,” said Jacobson.

Jose Crespo, a Public Works employee, attended the hearing in a show of solidarity with his Local 199 brothers and sisters. He said, “I took time off to attend to hearing because it’s important to me. Public employees aren’t just a line in a budget; we are the working families that make this county run. But if we don’t show up we get looked over and I’m tired of being looked over.”   

The County Commissioners voted 8 to 5 to raise the Library millage to $52 million, shy of the $64 requested but enough to save some jobs and services. They voted 12 to 1 to approve the Mayor’s proposed budget, which includes an increase in transit fares, and almost 700 layoffs. Budget and contract negotiations will continue between the county and AFSCME Local 199. The current contract expires September 30, 2014.