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View Full Version : UNION LEADER?



02-18-2008, 02:38 AM
To begin with, I worked off duty last night and observed my fellow night squad brothers get smacked with calls all night. You all handled it like real champs. But I am sure you all can agree that it should have never happened. They had three to four calls holding most of the night. I helped with two very quick calls but one was held from 0056 until I took it at close to 0300. Why did this happen? We all know and if you say that it is not the reason you are kidding yourself! Two simple words, Union Vote. Right before Strawberry Festival, let’s take officers and transfer them to street crimes, which has had two officers for quite a while. Let’s also take officers off the street for a week of ERT tryouts which has been inactive for I don’t even know how long, while at the same time we have four officers at K-9 school. That always happens right before the festival!
Mr. Detective, to say learn the job well, yes that did offend me, but that is okay. The great thing about a small agency is you get to learn all parts of the job very quickly, however with this job there is always more to learn and that never stops so I think we all have more to learn. Tell me I have been preying on new officers, get real! I, nor anyone, to my knowledge involved in the union has ever gone to anyone’s home or an off duty job to talk them into voting for the union. I did talk to one officer about the union vote at my house but he was extremely more senior than me. Also, I have talked to others by phone, at breakfast, and in passing. If you can tell me honestly as a new officer you would not feel any pressure when a Sgt. approaches you and says, I have this letter for you to sign to withdraw from the union, you would not feel a little obligated? Or even as a senior office? We have Sgts. that have asked people several times about signing a letter that meant nothing, to the point where some have just signed it to be left alone and others have talked to me about doing the same. You mean to tell me that officers came running to you, is that why that letter was distributed?
I want a union because I would like a say in my future here. For example, I know of several officers that have wrecked their cars before the union and they got written up, then union talk starts, and WOW officers’ wreck, and three day suspension. The first time we brought up the union in April/March of 2007, one senior officer and one detective came to our briefing and said let’s wait and give things a chance. Well, we waited and waited, and now we want a change that we can be part of. Every time the vote was talked about in the past, it was always stopped prematurely. So, I think you all can see as plain as day why the signing of blue cards was kept quiet. I will sincerely apologize for that, and to all the officers that have suffered for the thought of bettering our agency and wanting to have a voice in how certain things are done.
Some non union supporters, who now won’t even speak to me in the hallways, are trying to accuse me of wanting the union because I did not get K-9, PLEASE. I am fine with Gilmore getting the position and I understand, and like a detective told me, if a union comes in, seniority counts. No problem at all, especially when the senior officer and I tied on everything, then the tie should go to the senior man. If you really think that I would have changed my mind about the union, just because I was transferred to a different position in the department, then you really don’t know me.
The last time the union came up people were again promised things and moved to other parts of the agency and WOW the vote stopped. Well this time I say NO, don’t let that make up your mind, or two years from now when this all starts again we will be in the same boat. We are men and women, we cannot be bought. If you say you are against the union, I am still waiting for you to give me a good reason why anybody should vote no. I know of one officer that I am sure has done more homework about the union than any of us combined. I suggest you talk with him, get with me and I will see if he agrees to meet with you, which I am sure he would.
We had a very senior man post on here, “Kocab We don’t understand you”, what’s to understand? We are just asking for a voice. If you want to say that we could have a voice on EAB, well I put in for a position there, and so did other union supporters. We did not even get talked about being considered at the meeting, according to the pics site. I don’t think I am slandering anyone by saying this, but not one of you on EAB is for the union, I hope I am wrong but really don’t think I am. We that are boisterous for the union can’t even get on EAB, and I heard that a few officers nominated for EAB, did not even know they were in the running. There is one member of actual patrol on EAB, WOW, fair? I think not. I heard others have quit EAB because their ideas were never heard, even after doing their homework on their ideas.
I am not sure if the vote will pass or not, but if it does not and when things go back to the same old, same old, will all those who were for the union, be again? I love how we who are standing by the Union are accused of being gripers and whiners. Give me a break, so those who used to be for the union were gripers and whiners, but now they are not? What changed? Did you get SOMETHING? Those who were never for the union; fine, but I still don’t understand why. It is just to give us a voice; is that really that bad of an idea?
I want to always be a cop here; I love my job and I love this city, I also love my fellow officers, but let me say this, it does hurt to be accused of things that you all know I am not. I will continue to do my job to the best of my ability, and you can never say KOCAB will not be there for anyone of you. I take pride in being a cop here and will always.
Let us have our vote and do not hold it against us that we want a say in our future.
We are going to try and have a Rock the Vote party because if the union comes in we will have a lot of work to do and need to start planning and uniting. We will contact you and will need a count of who will be there. Ballots should be here this week. They are talking about having a ballot box at the station; if you want to use it fine, but I know some may feel pressure, why not let us grown ups use our own mailboxes? I really feel the post office is competent enough to get our votes where they need to go.
In closing, the union vote is not about disliking our leaders in the department, or saying we don’t appreciate what they have done. It’s about having a say in things that happen here (Having a plane, $0.25 a mile for take home cars, better insurance, fair discipline, shift differential, and a step plan, to name a small few). We may be upset with some of the tactics used by the leaders in trying to stop the vote, but bringing in the union is just about being able to have a little bit of equality in our department. Having the coolest “stuff” is fine, but we also need to feel secure.

02-18-2008, 03:05 AM
Your like Trae Towles except for the Union. When he preaches don't vote union it makes everyone want to vote for it. When you say vote union it makes everyone want to vote against it. Use a little tact and diplomacy in your approach to the pro-union movement and you would recieve much less grief than you do. Ask Fishback if she got written up when she was in an accident that totalled her car....was that cause she was pro union back then? Fact is man those two got suspended because of their blatant disregard while going x18 to calls. One launched over a railroad, accross two roads, and hit a pole and one took out the 18th green. I doubt either will argue about their punishment. Fact is everyone gets in fender benders and it's gonna happen..thats why some get written up and some get suspended.
EAB was selected due to wanting to staff the room with well qualified people who would actually say what needs to be said and not coward from a a fight. If I recall your performance at teh Tequillas meeting showed how diplomatic you were in your debates when you just got loud and argumentative instead of actually discussing anything. That's why people kept telling you to calm down.
Union people werent picked for the EAB? Well maybe thats because they were all picked for K-9...lol, how much evidence you need suggesting they are not being seleted due to that.
And I know you are not going to gripe about SCU, and K-9, and ERT when you tried out for all of them and the Unions biggest gripe was Cheif not acting. Are you serious man? If you would have made one of those of which you submitted a memo for each I have a feeling you would not have been complaining.
Come on man give me a break.

02-18-2008, 03:37 AM
It is no secret that some people express themselves better than others. Kocab has more heart, and is more dedicated than any officer I have ever met. That's not to say he has more tact. Maybe he does not always express himself in ways you may express yourself. That does not make him a bad person. There is really nothing that would have made him change is opinion on the union, scu, k-9, ert. ect. He wants what everyone wants, a change for the better, and a more involved future. The union is not the fix all. That being said, it does have major advantages, and a union can work here in Plant City. Will it be immediate? No. Will it get you everything you want? No. Will it give you protection? Yes. Will it help you to obtain things that are important to you? Yes. Will it benefit officers who have 5+ years left of service? Yes. As Kocab stated, I believe every officer appreciates what the Chief has done for our department. He has brought us from practically nothing to what we have today. He is a great politician. I say that in a good way. The Chief is correct in that he has ties with the city, and he is able to get things done. No one disagrees with that but why not take some pride in your future, and have a voice in YOUR future. EAB has the right intentions. Unfortuanately it has proven time and time again that it just does not work. I understand that you say the EAB has been selected based on experience, and by people who stand up and "say what needs to be said". However, with the exception of a few who truly are that way, this is just not true. There are a couple people on EAB that do not even want to be, and a couple who honestly do not seem to care anything about the police department, outside of collecting a paycheck. Like Kocab, I believe most officers in this department love their job, and I believe that everyone wants what's best for this department. That is why this vote is here, and you will have your choice to pick an avenue of approach you believe is best suited for this department. The choice is yours to vote yes, no, or not vote at all. You make that decision based on the facts you have established for yourself. The simple fact is, this department needs to come back together, and get back to what we do best. Police work. Let's get through this together and get back to business.

02-18-2008, 06:31 PM
So, missed the point... What was your point?