Do you have a union?

Does your agency have a union that stands up for the needs of your troops?

Nope...We have a Sheriff that does that.

No need to use the "U" word on this site, but thanks for asking.

I come form the land of unions, and i hate them, I would prefer to have a strong sheriff that will fight and stand up for the men than to have a union, and from what i hear and see Sheriff Hunter does that!

Paradise is spot-on with his reply. Recently I was at a district-wide meeting with the Sheriff- sort of a state-of the-agency kind of thing, and he was explaining the pay plan as it lays out over the next fiscal year. I realized that if someone were to enter the room that did not know that it was the Sheriff up front speaking, they would have thought he was a union rep. At that moment I once again said a silent thank you for my good fortune to be in a place where the people in charge really DO have our best interests at heart.
I know of so many agencies where the Chief Executive person-the chief,sheriff, whatever, would NEVER stand up in a room full of the rank-and-file personnel and talk about money and salaries- that would be done across a table , with a bunch of lawyers.
Here there is no "Us" and "Them" in labor relations- there is only US, and it starts at the very top.

Explore the message boards through out this web site and you will see a big difference with the topics, behavior and attitudes from those agencies that have a union.

Unions have their place but in this day and time those places are becoming few and far between. They naturally create division and force the "Us" vs "Them" mentality and that is never a positive working environment.

I am just thankfull that CCSO does not have a union nor needs a union. I hope this continues but if one day the majority of deputies decide we do need a union, that will be the day I move on.

In a nutshell, if I wanted to work in an environment with "I" vs "You", I would have stayed married to my first wife :)

Unions up north are the norm and NOT the exception. Maybe you guys should consider getting one so your pay and working conditions are where they are supposed to be. What is your starting pay and top pay in your department...pension...benefits..etc? Maybe things could be better...just a thought.

We did consider getting one a few years ago when the law changed and Florida Sheriff's deputies were allowed to organize... and we soundly rejected it. As for the points you bring up- pay, benefits, etc.... Well, lets see. Our pension is through the Florida Retirement System. FRS is one of the nations most solvent systems, and offers both a traditional and a newer investment/ chosen risk type plan. Towards the pension the deputy contributes NOTHING. the emplyoyer foots the entire amount. Most places I am familiar with that are non-FRS have an employee contribution of 6-8% pre-tax. We also have a deferred comp annuity that the employee may contribute to, as a seperate account. Health benefits cost me $ 80. per MONTH for my entire family for medical, dental, vision, etc. When I was with a civil service police dept. with a union, my health insurance was about $235 a month. Our pay is BETTER than any number of unionized agencies in the area, and often, when another agency does get a new contract that would put them beyond us in pay, we will get an adjustment to compensate for it.
Sheriff Hunter has his salary set by the state. It is non negotiable and no matter how much or little we make, the county cannot reward or punish him. He has no incentive for holding out on us. He is not employed by the county commision , but rather by the voters, who give him his eval every four years on election day. As a result, it is to his great adavantage to take good care of us, and so he does so, at every oppurtunity. When it comes to the major decisions affecting the members, like shift hours, scheduling, etc., we have a survey or a vote, and the majority rules, so long as the agency mission is served.
Most of us, having given the matter much consideration, just don't see the value of a union for CCSO. Having said that, we do appreciate your input, and as a fellow professional you are always welcome on our board.

Well stated Oldschool, thank you!!

Thanks old school..very informative and well put. Sounds like you guys work in a great place. I never see nor hear any whining from you guys. You guys are few and far between. Good luck and stay safe.