Mike Diaz - Candidate for CSFA Presidential Election
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Why Mike Diaz for CSFA Presidentfor the most current campaign information, click here.NOTE: an individual's presensence in the following pictures does not imply endorsement or support for any candidate. I believe that I have the experience required to run an organization such as CSFA. I has been active in CSFA for almost two decades. During this time I have gained tremendous experience. I have worked in many different capacities just within CSFA. These include:
Outside of CSFA I have also shown tremendous leadership within my own Local, Escondido Firefighters Association Local 3842. During my 28 years with Escondido, I have served my union in the following capacities:
CSFA is a very diverse organization and as such requires a leader with many diverse skills, knowledge and experience. My vast experience and skill sets will ensure that CSFA continues to grow and meet the needs of the California Fire Service. |
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What is the difference between the candidates I believe that CSFA should get back to basics. Let's focus on why CSFA was established to begin with. CSFA was established in part to improve working conditions for firefighters and to provide quality member services. Today, all that CSFA has worked for in the last 75 years is being attacked like never before. As you know, our biggest threats today are those that target our pensions and city budgets.As a union president I know what tools associations need to help them fight these battles on their local turf. I have been there on the battle grounds for many years. The down turn in the economy and the continual attack on pensions is beginning to create the perfect storm. My plan is to position CSFA in a way that creates synergy between CPF, IAFF and CSFA. We are all in this together and we need to ensure that we are all working together and smarter. If we don't, we all lose. I understand that CSFA is a trade organization. I do not want to change that nor do I want to compete with CPF or IAFF. My goal is to fill in the gaps between IAFF, CPF and CSFA. With the creation of the unity pac between CPF and CSFA, we are now working closer than ever before. I will work to continue to ensure we have better collaboration between both organizations and to improve communications at every level. No other candidate for President has the broad experience that I will bring to the office of CSFA President. Whether a political challenge, Labor issue, Volunteer matter or facilitating organizational change, I have proven that I can meet these challenges through my consensus building leadership. |
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Protecting your benefits |
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Dedication |
What Mike has done |
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Sale of CSFA Office In 2008 there was talk of selling the CSFA office. I was very opposed and worked hard to make sure we did not sell the building. I felt the building was a great asset of the association and argued its equity could be used if we ever got into a bind. Selling the building because "other associations of our size typically do not own buildings", was not enough reason to sell. In the end the board decided not to sell the building. |
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Sale of CSFA Office, 2nd attempt In an attempt to reduce a huge on-going, increasing liability, CSFA executives created a plan that would have included selling the CSFA building and then using the profits to pay off the liability. It appeared that the recommendation to sell was pretty much a done deal. I appealed to my peers on the board to consider taking a legal option. I was able to demonstrate that the benefits greatly out-weighed the risks. In the end the board agreed with me and changed course. It is my opinion that today, most board members feel that the legal option was in fact the correct path in this case. Because it is a legal matter the board can not provide any specifics in this matter. My persistence in this matter will save CSFA hundreds of thousands of dollars in member dues. |
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Disenfranchised Members I worked to with a small group to develop by-law amendments to allow retirees the right to vote at CSFA conferences. Under the old by-laws, if a CSFA department did not specifically send delegates, members form its department, even if they were at the CSFA conference, could not vote as delegates. Now members from a CSFA department can become delegates if their department does not send delegates to conference. This allows active CSFA members to participate in CSFA elections. |
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Redefined CSFA Lifestyle Discounts I urged CSFA staff to do away with our CSFA discounts and to keep only those that were truly CSFA member only discounts. Staff began working with vendors to get true CSFA member discounts. The CSFA Life Style Discounts are now real CSFA member only discounts. These discounts actually put monet into our members pockets when utilized. |
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Providing CSFA Members with Huge Discounts on FSTI Training I have been fighting to ensure that our members receive a return on their investment into FSTI in the way of deep discounts in FSTI training events. CSFA membership has invested literally thousands of dollars of member dues to make FSTI california's leading facilitator in training. The problem I have with FSTI is that our membership receives little in the way of discounts. There is no doubt that FSTI will fill the vacuum in areas where training is scarce or where local budgets simply are not enough to handle the need. The question is how does CSFA provide its members with a return on their investment? I say FSTI should provide deep discounts to CSFA members. |
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Coalitions CSFA/CPF Unity PAC  In the last decade firefighters and labor have been under constant attack. CSFA has participated and joined in the counter attack to protect our interests. I supported these efforts by encouraging CSFA to join and participate in the labor coalition. The unity between all the groups created such a synergy that we were able to defeat initiative after initiative. I enjoyed rolling up my sleeves and getting out to the rallies. I witnessed the synergy first hand. As CSFA President, I will look for opportunities that compliment our organization without compromising the CPF/CSFA unity pac. I will continue supporting the coalition with staff and economic resources. |
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CSFA Political Consultant CSFA had recommended labor attorneys, workers Comp attorneys, financial experts and so on. But, CSFA did not have a political consultant prior to 2009. I feel that political action is one of the most important things a local must participate in. But without a good political consultant, a local can find itself wasting political pac funds if does not have a well thought out plan. I pushed for a CSFA recommended political consultant. Already, Escondido and Visalia firefighters have benefited by using CSFA's political consultant. In both instances, they got 100% of their candidates elected! Today more than ever, locals need to be able to compete in the political arena. Now, they have a great tool at their disposal. CSFA's political consultant understands the fire service and can assist small to large organizations in the development of strategies. |
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Recruitment of San Diego Firefighters Mike Diaz, along with the help of others, was successful in brining over 1000 new firefighters into CSFA. This was the largest recruitment in recent CSFA history. What made this effort so exciting, was that San Diego Firefighters were one of the founding departments that created CSFA. |
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Web Site Pension Watch Worked with staff to get a "Pension Watch" section added to the CSFA web site. This was designed to provide the membership with the most current information about the attacks on our pensions. This section is now prominently displayed on the CSFA home web page. |
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Work in ProgressSign Trailer Today more than ever, CSFA must focus on what CSFA departments really need. It is my opinion, that they need tools that help them to keep fire stations open, eliminating brow-outs and electing firefighter friendly public office officials. These sign trailers can be very effective in getting the message out about closed fire stations or who your association is supporting for city council. Robo Calling Valor award notifications should be made to local/association presidents as soon as possible. It seems that we let some locals slip through the cracks by not notifying them about their members that will be receiving valor awards. CSFA should post on the web site recipient names and the agencies where the recipients are from. Bonding for Associations General Liability Insurance |
As a union president and CSFA director I have worked hard to protect your pensions and to ensure that our workers compensation protections will be there when you need them. I have worked countless hours in many state wide initiatives to ensure firefighters do not lose benefits or the ability of our labor groups to represent their membership.
I have demonstrated tremendous dedication to the fire service and to the firefighters that provide the service. My hands-on approach to helping firefighters has given me great depth in many areas. The time I have served as president for my local has given me organizational skills such as budgeting, planning and execution. Other skills include dealing with politicians and community leaders. All these skills will be critical for the next CSFA president. Hard economic times are affecting all of us. CSFA needs a president that understands the issues facing firefighter associations as well as how to handle them. I've been there! 
I have been fighting very hard to purchase sign trailers. These trailers would be strategically staged around the state. 100% CSFA departments would have access to these trailers.