March 1. 2006

DEAR BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

MOST OF YOU WHO KNOW ME KNOW THAT I HAVE BEEN OUT OF WORK ON DISABILITY SINCE NOVEMBER 15,2005 FOR BACK SURGERY. I HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED AS A MECHANIC FOR W.O.GRUBB CRANE RENTAL FOR 2+ YEARS. I WAS RECENTLY NOTIFIED BY THE BRANCH  MANAGER BOB BURGEE THAT HE WAS NOT GOING TO BRING ME BACK TO WORK WHEN MY RECOVERY WAS COMPLETE. WHEN ASKED WHY HE WAS TERMINATING ME ,HIS RESPONSE WAS '' WORK IS SLOW ''. LET ME REMIND YOU THAT I AM NOT SCHEDULED TO RETURN TO WORK FOR APPROX. 2 TO 2/12 MONTHS. I THEN ASKED MR. BURGEE IF HE WOULD PUT IT IN WRITING AS TO WHY HE WAS TERMINATING ME AND HIS REPLY WAS,'' I WAS ADVISED NOT TO DO THAT''. THAT ENDED OUR CONVERSATION THAT AFTERNOON. LATER THAT DAY I RECEIVED SEVERAL PHONE CALLS WITH RUMORS THAT MR. BURGEE AND RON DEJULIIS HAD LUNCH THE DAY BEFORE I WAS TERMINATED. THAT ITSELF IS NOT UNUSUAL BECAUSE RONNIE HAS LUNCH WITH THE EMPLOYERS ALL THE TIME, BUT WHAT REALLY  PISSED ME OFF WAS THAT IN THIS RUMOR ,I WAS TOLD THAT RONNIE DEJULIIS WAS THE ONE WHO TOLD BOB BURGEE TO TERMINATE ME, BECAUSE I AM VERY GOOD FRIENDS WITH BROTHER JIM ARCHEY. THE RUMORS WERE FLYING LIKE CRAZY, THE MORE I HEARD THE MORE IT PISSED ME OFF. I LIKE MANY TIMES BEFORE CALLED RON DEJULIIS AND ASKED IF I COULD MEET WITH HIM TO DISCUSS THESE RUMORS. SO ON FEBRUARY 27, 2006 , I MET WITH RONNIE AND LIONEL TO DISCUSS THESE RUMORS AND THE PROBLEM AT GRUBB. 

I ASKED RON AND LIONEL IF THIS RUMOR WAS TRUE AND THEY BOTH ASSURED ME THAT THEY WERE PURELY LIES. I PROCEEDED TO TELL THEM THE REST OF WHAT WAS GOING WITH ME AT GRUGG. I ASKED THEM IF I HAD GROUNDS TO FILE A GRIEVANCE ,THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WOULD INVESTIGATE IT AND TALK TO THE LAWYERS AND GET BACK TO ME. AFTER MEETING WITH RON AND LIONEL,I FEEL THEY ARE GOING TO STAND BEHIND ME 100%.  

THEY BOTH GAVE ME THE IMPRESSION THAT SOMETHING DOES NOT SMELL RIGHT HERE. I AM CONFIDENT THAT IF THERE WAS WRONG DOING HERE, THEY WILL GET TO THE BOTTOM OF IT. BROTHERS AND SISTERS RUMORS ARE NOT GOOD FOR OUR LOCAL, THE ONLY THING GOOD FOR OUR LOCAL IS THE TRUTH, AND WE AS OPERATING ENGINEERS DESERVE THE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH. 

   MARK HARKINS