Short answer is yes, we can address it. Please contact me via email matt@flpba.org or 1-800-733-3722 ext 425. I would like some specifics. ThanksQuote:
Originally Posted by Guest
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Short answer is yes, we can address it. Please contact me via email matt@flpba.org or 1-800-733-3722 ext 425. I would like some specifics. ThanksQuote:
Originally Posted by Guest
This is also in Troop F as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt Puckett
My previous posts were simply to explain how we got to this point. The 40 work week was changed in the contract by impasse resolution. Your second question is more spin than a question. No one is approaching this change as you're lucky. A poster stated the PBA gave it away - not true. Another poster stated the Colonel stuck it to you - It is only fair to point out he negotiated with the Chapter even though he didn't have to. Things should be discussed in the context of what actual happened. Finally, we are proposing that work weeks should be negotiated and not at the exclusive authority of the command. Your chapter wants 40 work weeks back as much as you do.Quote:
Originally Posted by guest12345555
Back to my question for you. You have a lot of great opinions, suggestions and questions. Do you talk with your chapter board about any of it?
The common theme from this justified rant was contacting and educating the media. I don't know a lot, but one thing I do know is that there have been hundreds of newspaper articles exposing the low pay of the FHP Trooper over the years. People read it and if they see a Trooper they will comment on how unfair it is. The legislators will tell you how unfair it is to your face. Then they don't lift a finger to fix it. If it doesn't help them get re-elected, it is a low priority. It's been going on the whole time I've been a Trooper and I've got over 25. People didn't care about our pay in a good economy. They certainly don't care to hear us whine in this bad economy. The best comment I ever read on LEO affairs was when somebody posted how he can be at a gas pump and some guy walks up and says I wouldn't do your job for the crummy salary they pay you. Then when they ask that same guy if you should have to pay 3% toward your retirement (a pay cut) and he thinks that's long overdue and he's all behind that. People don't care if you're suffering, as long as it isn't them. I'm concerned about what the legislature is doing to the morale of the current FHP Trooper. I'm even more concerned about the future patrol Troopers. What kind of employment pool is FHP going to hire from with the current salary we offer, the lack of pay raises, and now that they are taking away every benefit you could ever have? Who is going to want to risk their lives for no benefits at all? With no retirement at the end of the line, they'll leave at the first decent opportunity that comes along. All that wasted money in training them. All that experience gone. The quality just isn't going to be there. Like with everything else, the legislature doesn't seem to care. It's nice to talk about grandfathering in current troopers, but lets remember that new hires are going to be out here dealing with the same challenges that we are. I don't want them to be treated like shit either.
More on the 12345555 post
"2. Offset- offsetting time does nothing but hurt troopers and cost them money used to supplement base pay. Offsetting requires troopers to take back time on an hour for hour basis. Offsetting causes troopers to be absent from the road when there are already shortages with some troopers covering 3 counties alone. When a trooper takes a x42 early because he or she is forced to offset time, it impacts others who cannot take leave for the period and puts an additional burden those left on duty to respond to calls and maybe even have to work overtime themselves. It is a self-perpetuating monster and an endless cycle of mismanagement.
- Isn’t the policy and/or the contract designed so the trooper can CHOOSE to offset time and cannot be forced? It says efforts shall be made to offset time but where does it say it must be offset?"
From the contract
SECTION 4 – Overtime
(B) Work beyond the employee’s regular work period shall be recognized in accordance with Chapter 60L-34, Florida Administrative Code; provided, however, that when an emergency is declared by the Governor and funds are available, employees who are assigned to the emergency area described in the Governor’s Executive Order shall be subject to a forty (40) hour workweek while so assigned. The State and the PBA will cooperate to secure funds for the payment of overtime to Unit employees in the situation described herein. The State shall make a reasonable effort to equalize distribution of overtime opportunities.
(C) The PBA agrees to support those changes in Chapter 60L-34, Florida Administrative Code that may be required in order for the State to be in compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act as it is applied to public employees, which the State agrees to comply with.
SECTION 5 – FLSA Special Compensatory Leave
(A) If the DHSMV has a plan approved in advance by the Department of Management Services, FLSA special compensatory leave credits shall be granted, administered and used as described below:
(B) An employee who is filling an included position may, at the end of the approved extended period, waive payment for overtime and have the overtime hours credited to “FLSA special compensatory leave.”
Are you requesting to have your overtime credited to FLSA so you can get paid time and a half?
If such election is made, the overtime hours will be credited as “FLSA special compensatory leave” credits at the rate of one and one-half (1-1/2) hours for each hour of overtime worked. An employee will only be permitted to accumulate a maximum of one hundred (100) hours of “FLSA special compensatory leave” credits which may be taken in any increments at the employee’s discretion provided the FLSA compensatory leave is taken by June 30 or December 31 of each year. The employee’s request to utilize FLSA compensatory leave shall be granted so long as granting the request would not result in “undue disruption.” If the FLSA compensatory leave is not utilized by the employee by June 30 or December 31 of each year, all unused “FLSA special compensatory leave” credits at the close of business on December 31 and June 30 shall be paid for at the employee’s straight time regular hourly rate in accordance with Chapter 60L-34, Florida Administrative Code, as amended. An employee who separates from the Career Service or moves to another state agency shall be paid for all unused “FLSA special compensatory leave” in accordance with the above.
Chapter 60L-34, Florida Administrative Code
(4) In lieu of overtime payment, an employee in an included position who is eligible for overtime, may, if mutually agreed by the employee and the agency, waive cash payment for overtime, and the agency shall process the FLSA special compensatory leave as follows:
(a) At the end of the workweek or extended period, credit all overtime hours as FLSA special compensatory leave credits at the rate of one and one-half hours credit for each hour of overtime worked.
(b) Allow the employee to accumulate up to a maximum of 80 hours of credits.
(c) Allow the employee to use the credits in any increments mutually agreed by the employee and the supervisor. Absent mutual agreement, the supervisor may, with a minimum of five workdays notice, require the employee to use the credits at any time in increments of full workdays.
(d) At the close of business on December 31 and June 30 of each year, or other dates approved by the Department, pay the employee for all unused credits at the employee’s straight time regular hourly rate of pay.
(e) If the employee separates from the agency or moves to an excluded position with accumulated credits, pay the employee for all unused credits at the employee’s straight time regular hourly rate of pay.
(f) When an employee is called back to work beyond the employee’s scheduled hours of work for that day, the employee shall be credited with actual time worked or a minimum of two hours of work, whichever is greater. Time not worked of the minimum of two hours is not counted as hours worked for the purposes of computing overtime compensation.
Great post. The media is sympathetic to Troopers and there are articles written about the pay. You make a strong point about public sympathy and we tested it two years ago just before the 2011 session.Quote:
Originally Posted by media matters
We ran a television commercial "How was your day?" in several selected markets and then went into the field to test reaction to the ad and public opinions on salaries and benefits. The opinion of law enforcement was through the roof in every demographic, but when it got to pay and benefits things turned. I have seen two other polls by other groups since our poll and not much has changed.
That doesn't mean throw in the towel, but it needs to sink in that media is only so powerful.
I have to go back to a previous suggestion. Make a positive connection with influence makers in your area. They talk. Legislators listen to them. If at every turn a legislator is seeing Troopers doing their jobs, hearing from decision makers that pay needs to improve and then they are lobbied yearly for increases - the message sinks in.
I was told not to let them off the hook in Tallahassee. I won't. But together we must keep the local pressure on, too.
Hello Sir,
Thank you again for agreeing to respond to the concerns I posted. To respond to your question, I understand there is a executive chapter board but there is no one at the district level for me to contact. They have never attended district meetings (before or after the actual meeting, as well) and I didn’t want to contact the President or board members directly. I would also like a chance to present my concerns openly to fellow troopers, as this forum permits. I did contact a troop representative and was told several weeks ago that some of the concerns would be “looked into”. That is why I was pleased you offered the opportunity to address you publicly and directly here in this forum. It allows other troopers to determine if the concerns are valid and should be pursued.
When I contacted the field representative on an issue, I was told he was no longer with the PBA. I was never told he had left. The new representative hadn’t provided his name or information. It would have been nice to meet him or her at a district meeting. I am unaware of anyone at the district level who is the point of contact for concerns except the field agent, who has been neither proactive in soliciting member feedback nor physically present. Again, I can present all of the concerns to the executive board but they are not publically disseminated to the rest of the membership. If they are, I haven’t seen what newsletter or other mechanism is being used.
As to the pay issue, those that joined the agency shortly after the stipend was awarded were not provided anything. To my knowledge, there haven’t been any pay increases or stipends since then.
Thank you for responding to the OT issue. I, too, had read the regulations. Chapter 60L-34 is quoted and it allows, in subsection 4, for FLSA in lieu of overtime but in reality this never happens because all potential overtime is required to be offset hour for hour during the pay period. How can you receive FLSA if you are ordered to offset time hour for hour during the period?
Here’s an example. I worked 80 hours in the two week period and accumulate 8 hours of incidental OT. Before that pay period ends, I am ordered to offset the 8 hours of overtime before I submit it to people’s first. Therefore, I have worked 8 hours of OT and should be offsetting 12 hours, if so ordered. It’s even worse if you take leave as the hours of “OT”, even if one works more than 8 hours in a day are offset hour for hour.
The extra time is never credited to the FLSA Spec Comp Leave because I am ordered to mandatorily offset without my agreement to do so during the work period. I believed the policy clearly stated that the offsetting shall be with the agreement of the member and the supervisor. If I don’t want to offset or agree to offset why am I compelled to do so? Why can’t I claim the OT I work and not be forced to give it back on an hour for hour basis, including hours accumulated on my days off?
The issue is one of agency mandated offsetting. Troopers offsetting time impact other trooper’s ability to take leave and reduce manpower on the road. We should be doing the opposite. The agency should be happy to pay the OT since there are so many shortages. Cannot PBA fight the mandatory imposition of offsetting overtime based on the FHP current policy to allow members to receive OT at time and a half rather than offset the hours?
Policy 5.04.1 D.1. subsections stipulate:
b. To avoid overtime liability, supervisors are expected to make every effort to offset extra hours in the same work period in which they were earned by adjusting member work schedules.
c. Anytime that an included member works in excess of the hours set for the established work period, the member may choose to either be paid at time and a half for the extra hours or earn Federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Special Compensatory Leave at a rate of one and one half times the number of excess hours worked.
Supervisors are expected but not mandated to offset hours. Please explain why, if the member “works in excess of the hours set for the established work period” he or she does not have the option to “choose to be paid at time and a half or FLSA.” Members are now FORCED to offset and are denied that option. Where’s the choice? Can PBA do something about this and stop the mandatory offsetting of accrued overtime during the work period?
I didn’t want to interject until you had a chance to eventually answer all of my questions. I didn’t want to ask more questions in the process of replying to you but I have done so. I am very interested to read your responses as you continue to consider the issues presented. I hope my additional questions presented in this post did not derail your efforts to answer my original questions.
Again, thank you for your time. It is appreciated that you are willing to address the myriad of concerns I presented. For the record, I am just a trooper who presented them with the hope that something can be done to address them through our union and significantly improve working conditions for all.
Guest 12345555
For starters thanks for replying back. Please ask as many questions as you wish. That's why I am on here.Quote:
Originally Posted by guest12345555
Let's begin with where things went poorly for you. If you are unaware of your PBA's field representatives name and contact with a Troop rep has not resolved your issue please contact me or the board - or both. That's a breakdown and needs immediate attention.
Accountability is paramount and if members are not being serviced appropriately the people with the ability to remedy it need to be aware. One of those people with that ability is me and if I'm the problem, contact the PBA President John Rivera.
That was the whole reason for my asking about your involvement with the Chapter. I want to hear if you have tried to get involved and been turned away, or left hanging. Or if you have just been silent.
If there's a break in the link, bypass it and go to chapter board or PBA HQ. This is not a paramilitary organization, you are perfectly entitled to speak to anyone within your association.
Just point of clarification - It is of no concern to me if a poster is a Trooper or not. I'm also not concerned about membership status. The quality of the question(s) matters.
Please contact me at matt@flpba.org or 800-733-3722 ext 425 so I can get you involved with someone who can directly address your issue. Feel free to post the outcome of our discussion and what came of it. I will not betray your anonymity.
12345555
"As to the pay issue, those that joined the agency shortly after the stipend was awarded were not provided anything. To my knowledge, there haven’t been any pay increases or stipends since then."
There are two answers 1) the person was hired after November 1, 2007 and did receive the $1,000 bonus (was not called a stipend) or 2) the person was hired after the 5% pay raise in 2008 and that money is included in the starting pay. Which is why we are asking for an 3% bump for employees with more than seven years of service. Pay Compression.
If it is the $1,000 bonus - the answer is that it was only for personnel employed on that date.
12345555, You're other question is that mutual agreement between you and your supervisor is not functioning. Please contact me about it. 800-733-3277 ext 425