PBA Negotiations

Just to let everyone know. The next negotiation meeting is set for 12/21/2006 at 10:00am. The exact place is not yet known but it will be posted as soon as I know. We will be discussing Cost of Living Increases, duration of the contract, Longevity Pay. Everyone is encouraged to attend to see what goes on and to hear what is discussed.

Guys
If you don't already know, the negotiations will be held at the annex 2nd floor. 10:30am-1:00pm for the Sgt's and 1:00pm till 5:00pm for the deputies on Thursday 12/21/2006.

We need to have a large turnout for this session, the more members the better. We need to show the other negotiation team that we are serious about this and want to finish this contract. Don't forget that this will also affect non-PBA members as well. The Sheriff would like to keep everything in parity between the Law Enforcement Bureau as well as the Detention Bureau. This may be the last time for a while to see what goes on during the negotiations.

For those who don't know, we would like to finalize this with a three year contract, 5% longevity for 11, 15 and 20 years and a 4% cost of living each year. This is what was proposed to the Sheriff's Negotiation Team.

Remember, anyone is able to attend the negotiations and listen in. Lets show some support and finish this off. Again, If your are working during the negotiations you must take some form of leave in order to attend.

On Duty Road Deputys? What about Jail?

The negotiations are open to the public. If your a working road deputy it will be up to your supv. if you will be able to attend. It would be the same for detention. Remember though, the detention bureau has not asked for representation by the PBA and will not receive all of the membership benefits such as legal representation.

Well first off I would like to thank everyone for their support. At least two Sgt's worked with us, as for rank and file NO One.

Here is what everyone is wanting to know. The Sheriff if offering a three year deal with 2% pay increase next year with no longevity at this time but possibly an opener in the 2008-2009 budget year. This is for the rank and file members. As for the Sgt's. Same deal but a 4% incerase but you have to remember that the steps for a Sgt is two years. The members will need to make a decision as to if they want this contract or not. From what I'm hearing from several Sgt's is that they are not interested. A letter from Bob McCabe our PBA Attorney will be sent to each of the rank and file members explaining what is going on and where we are going. I will keep everyone posted as to any new information.

[jeff fennell]

Well, once again we had a tremedous turnout for the meeting. For the first part, the SGTs contract, 2 Sgts showed up. For the rank and file contract only 2 showed up, not including our PBA attorney.

The sheriff has effectively disected our 'union' first by eliminating the LTs. We asked for the Sgts and rank and file to be in one bargaining unit and were denied this as well. It's hard to stand your ground when only the same couple of people are the only ones that show up to negotiate. The few of us that do show up at the meetings are the ones 'dodging the bullets' shot by the administration. We are the ones burning our annual leave to try and make things better for everyone in the 'union'.

As of right now, there will be no contract and we are about ready to declare an 'Impasse'. This means that a mediator will listen to both sides (probably next summer) and issue a 'non-binding' opinion as to who seems to be more justified in their requirements for a contract. However, this really doesn't mean anything because the sheriff can stand by her guns and go with the offer that she laid out today. Really, we are stuck between and rock and a hard place.

The main point of issue is or was wages and longevity. The sheriff doesn't want to look or discuss longevity until fiscal year 2008-2009. The wages are at the point everyone should know as the step plan. If you are maxed out in the step plan you can look forward to a 2% raise each year for the next two years. The sheriff's side indicated if the contract was NOT ratified that all the money set aside for the step plan and raises would be allocated for something else. Anyway, I'm done giving details about all the negotiations I've attended. Don't call my office and ask, 'well, what happened?' If you really wanted to know you would have attended the meetings yourself.

I really hope, that when anyone of us needs some support or back-up in the 'real world' someone will actually show up and help.

-Thoroughly Disgusted :x

First off, to Tom and Jeff, thanks for all you've done for us. Your dedication has not gone unnoticed. You should be commended for standing up for your fellow officers. You volunteered your time, (annual leave) to speak for the rest of us. Not to mention Tom spend his own money for expenses incurred publishing material relating to the contract. Your fustration at the turn out and seemingly lack of concern from the rank and file is unexceptable. The only explanation is lazyness. Some expect others to fight their battles. Tom has been the voice for all of us and he should be commended. He alone fought for our intrest, and for some of us, our hopeful raise in retirement. Fellow officers and PBA members: When the time comes to vote on the contract, VOTE NO to the 2 per cent raise. It may sound good now but it isn't what it appears. Question for the General Counsel, If the longivity money isn't there for the members who've been there all these years sacrificing numerous ball games and school functions involving their chidren for the good of the citizens of Highlands County, because they DO believe in their calling, just where is it? If we have to settle for the percent you purposed, is that going to be equivalent to your raises over the next couple of years? Just curious, and a matter of Public Record, what is your salary? Probably a lot more than the men and women who work the midnight shifts spreading the blanket of security you sleep under every night. Sleep well Counselor. You to Madam Chief of Staff.

Thanks to those 2 that did go. I planned on attending but was unable to do so.

[Heather Thomas]

Morale seems at at all time high within the Highlands County Sheriff's Office. I wonder if things would have been different if Lt. Mike Brown had been elected sheriff.

[jeff fennell]

Heather Thomas, keep wondering.

We have to deal with reality, not fantasy. Sheriff Benton has done plenty to get our pay up to today's level and everyone is grateful for what she has done. However, we are looking 3-4 years down the line and for those senior sheriff office members for longevity pay.

The sheriff's proposal will be put to vote and we'll see what happens at that time.

What I want to know is, why was the Sheriff for the union, before she took office. She thought it was a good idea and would support it, but now we can't even get a contract signed. Now we have to attend a mandatory meeting, to tell us all the great things we have, new carpet, new desks, letters that keep falling of the wall a secretary for the Chief of Staff and General Counsel. Oh yeah, that helps put food on my table. Why doesn't the Chief of Staff attempt to survive on our salary, miss school functions, or better yet miss Christmas with your family, because you are protecting and serving. Oh that's right, she's too good for those things...

Thanks for all your support Sheriff...the message is the same as the last administration, only the faces have changed.

To employee, if you are that unhappy, why do you continue to work there? There is an easy solution, submit your resignation.

We will be holding a PBA meeting at Dee's Place at 5:00pm till whenever on 01/11/2007. All barganing Unit Members are welcome at the meeting. We will be discussing the current proposed contract and a poll vote will be conducted to see if we want the proposed contract. I will then contact our attorney and advise him of the results of our poll.

As everyone knows by now, the vote which took place last week with the PBA did not go well. The vote was 78% not to accept the contract and 22% to accept the contract. I as well as our attorney did not feel that a turn out of 14 people was a good basis to call for an empass.

On the 18th Sheriff Benton had the mandatory meeting with all of the Sgt's and rank and file. I was not able to be at the meeting due to the flu. Several people have voiced there concerns that if we do not accept the Sheriff's contract, our pay raises will be locked up until the contract is passed. The Sheriff can still continue on with her pay scale as well as a pay raise if she wishes. If it were to go to an empass, it does not tie the Sheriff's hands as far as any monitary increases according to our attorney. The monitary increases will be up to the discression of the Sheriff. I have also heard the rumor that if this goes to empass that the Detention Bureau members would receive their step increase but the L.E. Bureau would not. Throughout all of the negotiation process, all we have heard is that the Sheriff will keep everything in parity. I would hope that the Sheriff would not do this and I wouldn't put alot of faith in a rumor.

I have had several senior members who have voiced their concerns over the longevity issue. I know the sheriff advised you as well as me that her wishes are to establish guidelines as to what will be required to qualify for longevity. I for one do not feel that community service should be a part of the requirements but that is my opinion only. I do feel that further education weather it be in the form of college or advanced training should be.

If we are to ever get this contract taken care of we as the Law Enforcement unit are going to have to take it to a vote with a good turnout. Whether it goes the PBA way or the Sheriff's way so be it. I want to see this come to a close as well as everyone else.

The Sheriff also said the "longevity" raises would be based on the "evaluations of job performace", and not years on the job. Am I missing something here, or is she defining "merit" raises, which would require evaluations, where as longevity would be based on "years of service".

This is also to be "re-visited" or opened at "a later date". Correct me if I'm wrong, but wouldn't this tie up the one area stipulated in the contact to be "re-visited" and therefore no other areas can be "re-visted" over the course of the next three years (contract length). If this is an area she wishes to revisit later, why is this on us, rather than in addition to the one on behalf of the employees.

Just thought I'd ask.

Tom,

Any updates for the contract? Is there a chance to get the real information out before a vote? Here meeting was dandy, but she made it seem like take this contract or get nothing.

Here is where we are at right now. Several of us sat down with David Ham last thursday and discussed several items. The main concern for Mr. Ham was the diciplinary article. The article was written as if we were in agreement with the policy. As we all know, there is no new policy on diciplinary as of yet with all of the new G.O.'s coming out.

The second area of concern was the one opener for the duration of the three year contract. We wil have to use this one opener to negotiate longevity next year and that will be it for openers.

I think most unit members are in agreement with the duration of the contract (three Years) and the 2% increase each year of the contract.

I have spoke with several members and are still needing members who will be willing to meet with David Ham and two other high ranking PBA members who will be here is Sebring on April 5th to discuss our options. We are trying to have one or two members from each squad or unit to be present. We don't care if you want the current offer or wish to decline the offer. These PBA officials want to hear options from both sides. If you are interested in meeting with these officials you know how to contact me.

We are very close to a decision and now is when we need to come together and get a final answer. I do not feel that fourteen members casting votes is an accurate indicator of what the members want. As soon as we meet with these officials we will have a meeting and discuss what they feel needs to be done.

To answer the employee, how can you say she offered nothing, when she has already has given us all kinds of raises and other financial perks like on-call pay or holiday pay we never had before to name a few, over the last two years as well as lots of equipment we never had before and none of us are driving really old ragged out cars like we used to. I thought I heard her explain the offer and say she will not give us anything else on her own until we have a contract. Is that nothing?

Also to Tom, thanks for all of your hard unrewarding work that you are doing on this. But I think that the statement about the two percent per year is incorrect. From what I recall, it is year one (this 06-07 budget) that the last phase of the pay plan will go into place in April, 2007.....this means the one years guys will receive .5% percent increase........all the way up to us ten year guys getting a 5% increase and everyone else falls somewhere in between. This on top of the step increase on your anniversary, which after April will be 4%. So some deputies will get as much as an 8 or 9% increase within the next year.

Then in year two (07-08 year) it will be a 2% adjustment to each step in the pay plan for all years (plus the 4% step, which means 6% increase) and the beginning of talks about longevity for year three.

Then in year three (08-09 budget year) the payment of agreed upon longevity and the step increase of 4%.

So that really means a lot more raise than just 2% a year for three years.

The above with all of what has already happened is NOT nothing. Let's get on with doing our job.

To Member
I believe you are correct in your numbers but I would have to look in our notes to be sure. All members will have to wait on their next step increase and the one half of one percent incerease until we "ALL" make a decision on this contract. AS I said, several members from the Tallahasse PBA office will be here Thursday April 5th to hear our input. You guys pay these guy's salary. If you want to be heard you need to show up or have a representitive from your squad or unit bring your ideas to the table. The 2% isn't that bad when you add it to the step. But when you don't have any more steps it's not that good. That's why we need to deal with the longevity now. Remember the longevity affects over 25% of the members and within the current proposed three year contract it will be over 30%.