Dear Fellow OPEIU, Local 30 Members and Coworkers, During the nearly 14 years which I've been a Member of OPEIU, Local 30, I've had the opportunity to meet and develop friendships with many of you and throughout my employment with Kaiser Permanente in San Diego, I have served as one of your dedicated Union Stewards. I've worked to protect our Union contract by ensuring that OPEIU, Local 30 Members receive all the benefits to which we are entitled. During previous contract negotiations, I've participated alongside fellow Members for numerous improvements within our contract and, in 2010, I was elected to the OPEIU, Local 30 Bargaining Committee which unanimously recommended our current KP contract for membership ratification (which the membership unanimously accepted!). The incumbents for the Executive Board call themselves, "The Winning Team" but, during their tenure, we've lost our KP/OPEIU Local 30 sponsored Blood Drives, we've lost our OPEIU, Local 30 Bingo Nights, and we've lost our OPEIU, Local 30 Family Picnic Event and our Union meetings rarely have enough Members present for a quorum (at least 11 out of nearly 5,000 Members!); in essence, we've lost our Member involvement and our Member interest which is the heart of our Union. - Can we really afford to keep on "winning" like this?

I believe our Union has much potential and is capable of great things.

I believe in winning grievances, some of which I have filed and won for fellow Union Members despite being told it was not win-able.

I believe in providing the higher level of service which we dues-paying Members deserve.

I believe in Union transparency; You and I pay dues into our Union, You and I should be able to know what's going on in our Union.

I believe in participating in efforts which support organized labor in general. I have contributed to campaigns with numerous Labor Unions such as the AFL-CIO, Change To Win, Communications Workers of America, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, International Guards Union of America, Service Employees International Union, Unite Here, United Farm Workers, United Food & Commercial Workers, and United Government Security Officers of America.

I don't think I have all the answers...in fact, I know that I don't have all the answers and I won't pretend that I do; that's why I want to hear your thoughts and your ideas. I believe listening to our Union's Members and utilizing their talents and skills is how we will build a stronger, more united OPEIU, Local 30. This isn't an empty campaign statement, this is a promise -contact me anytime at: dustin.teske@sbcglobal.net.

If you think that status quo is working just fine then, please, I encourage you to vote for the incumbents, "The Winning Team". If, however, you believe we deserve better and we can be better, I ask that you vote for change.

It's for all these reasons that I am applying for a position as an Executive Board member.

I'm asking for more than your vote, I'm asking for your support.

Fraternally,

Dustin Teske
'I Work For You'
OPEIU, Local 30 Steward & Candidate for the Executive Board
Email
www.OPEIU30.org/DustinTeske4EBoard