rRAA'S PORT WO RKERS UMOA

LOCAL 291 o AFL-CIO

6355 N.W. 36th Street o Suite 502 . Virginia Gardens, FL 33166
Phone: (305) 526-8077 o Fax: (305) 526-8078 o Website: www.twulocal29l.orq

Clarence Washington
President

Pedro Flores
Executive Vice President

Cassandra Gilbert
Secretdry-Tredsurer

Tonya Redmond

October 4,2OL6
The Honorable Carlos Gimenez, Mayor
Office of the Mayor, Miami-Dade County
Stephen P. Clark Center
111 N.W. lst Street, Suite 2910
Miami, FL 33128

Recording Secretary

Phvsical Threats of Violence: Tyrone Williams

Jeffery Townsley, Sr.

Dear Mayor Gimenez:

Tronsportaton VP

MichaelWilliams
Tronsportoton VP

Lawrence Gunn, Sr.

Transportdton VP

Brian Davis
Transportdtion VP

Monique Robinson
Transportdtion VP

Antonio Gonzalez
Mdntendnce VP

Jeffery Mitchell
Rql/MoverVP

It is the policy of Miami-Dade County to ensure that employees have a work

environment free from all forms of violence and threats of violence. On
september 29, 20L6, at approximately 11:30 AM, Mr. Tyrone Williams,
Senior Division Director, Labor Relations and Compensation, went "ballistic"
at the end of a heated collective bargaining session and threatened physical
violence aganst Local 291, negotator Jeffrey Mitchell, the Union's
Rail/Mover Vice President.

More specifically, Mr. Mitchell informed Mr. Williams that his negotiatng
tactics had clear "racial overtones", and as Mr. Mitchell then got up and was
leaving the room, Mr. Williams jumped up and screamed a number of
profanity-filled threats (implied or otherwise) to Mr. Mitchell's back,
including, but not limited to, the following:
"We can finish this off downstairs, in the street",

Omar Valdes

"Those who are loudest are the weakest",

Rol/Mover VP

"l grew up n (tough) 'Browns-Sub"' (Brownsville suburbl),

anu

"You know where to find me."

Further, at the end of a subsequent afternoon bargaining session that same
day, Mr. Williams attempted to physically intimidate TWU lnternational Vice
President Carl Mann (with long, rude, and angry "in-your-face" stares) to
the point where Mr. Martin was prompted to ask Williams "what the h**l
are you looking at, and why do you keep staring at me?" Mr. Martin told Mr.
Williams that his intimidation tactics didn't "scare" him, and Mr. Williams

I Suggesting

he was "tough" because he "grew up" amongst "toughs" and "gangs"

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told Mr. Martin that he "hoped" that Mr. Martin's "flight home" was a very "short"
one (translation: "crashed and burned").

does not immediately recuse himself from any further collective

bargaining sessions, your office should do it for him. His childish temper tantrums
and disgraceful, unprecedented antics bring great disrepute upon your office, and,
further, have now created a multitude of problems that are embarrassing at best.

lf Mr. Williams

Mr. Williams is in blatant violation of County Administrative Order 7-36 (Workplace

Violence), and we demand that an investigation be undertaken as required by said
Order. Further, A.O. 7-36 requires that all supervisors or managers who have
knowledge of "threats of violence" must report same accordingly. We are not aware
of any report by Ms. Arleene Cuellar, or any other manager present, who witnessed
this inexcusable provocation. They are obviously "accessories" who have chosen to
"close ranks" and look the other waY.

I am asking you to take immediate and responsible action against Mr.

Williams,

commensurate with the gravity of his egregious misconduct'

your feedback is welcome, and should you require any further information, do not
hesitate to contact me.
Since

Washington
President

Distribution
Board of County Commissioners
Arleene Cuellar
Tyrone Williams

dF.'
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