Vic Makey
01-31-2009, 01:25 AM
Dear Fellow Officers,
Vic took a vacation but is back and this is the right time to speak my mind!
I wanted to take a few minutes out of my personal time to speak to each of you about the upcoming contract vote. As most of us know we have been going through this negotiation for a couple of years. Most of us could use a pay raise and extra income as times are tight and nothing costs what it did a few years ago. With all of that being said I feel that the proposed contract does not benefit the members of the Lauderhill Police Department and in fact it is a punch to the face for all the hard work we have done over the past years.
Remember that each of us is put in harms way on a daily basis. Each of us straps a gun on your waist and defends the citizens of the City of Lauderhill. We take an oath of duty and risk our lives to help without fear or worry. That reason alone should be the reward from the City Government to compensate us as equally as every police agency in this county.
We are one of two public service departments in the City of Lauderhill and one is no better then the other and one depends on the other in order to complete a mission. They should not be compensated at a greater rate then us and we should not be compensated more then they. However, they have a cola after retirement and we do not … they have a greater salary and we do not. They have a higher retirement multiplier then us and yet the City Government still insists we must reduce our pension benefits. Please City Government remember that a man with a gun can kill you just as dead as a house fire!
We must for once stand up and declare that we are a first rate police department with first rate officers. We must for once stand up and not take a few dollars and give away what was promised to each of us for the last 14 years. We must face the fact that in order to be taken seriously by the City Government we have to stand together and demand what is due to each of us. We do not have to give up benefits and the City Government knows we have been under paid for years.
The City Manager promised all of us that he wanted to make us in the top third police agency in the county … you now must demand that he does that and does it quickly as we also have families to feed. We have been fair and we have been patient but we must stand up now and fight. Each of you officers must remember that Lauderhill's other public service department is in the top 3rd in the county. (Not mad at you FD ... I would have taken it too).
Let me point out what we would lose:
• Arbitration rights on a written reprimand
• Right to chose what squad you wanted to work on (management would reserve that right)
• Loss of 25% of your PBH value (City now only wants to pay you 75% of your money)
• Unlimited overtime towards retirement would be capped at 300 hours
• Sick and Vacation would now be capped at a much lower rate of hours
• Details would no longer count towards retirement (no reimbursement for monies already paid into the pension has been spelled out)
• No more cola for retirees or any benefits for that matter
These are just a few of the things the City Government wishes to take away from you.
The City can do many things to alleviate financial burdens and none of those moves would require them to take so many items from the police pension. State Law requires us to give these benefits away … they can not just be taken and we should not part with any unless an equal or better benefit is given or better yet a pay increase that would truly place us with the other elite agencies in the county.
As much as I need the pay increase I could not sell myself to give away so much for a few thousand dollars … believe me I really need the money and I know a bunch of you do too! I am asking for each of you to say “NO” and demand that we get paid accordingly without losing all of the benefits promised to us or give up the rights that protect us when unjust or unfair write ups are done.
I would rather have everything taken from me by force then just give it away because I was scared and blinked at a few dollars.
In closing I know the economy is bad and people are losing jobs … I feel for everyone that is effected by what is going on … but this is precisely why we need a strong highly motivated police department. History shows that during these times when the economy is so bad crime goes so out of control and lawlessness and mayhem take over. We will continue to work hard, do the right things and keep crime under control … we took an oath and we stand by it … Remember "WE STAND BY WHAT WE SAY"!
Be safe my Brothers and Sisters … We will always survive because we have each others backs!
God Bless,
MG AKA..VIC
Vic took a vacation but is back and this is the right time to speak my mind!
I wanted to take a few minutes out of my personal time to speak to each of you about the upcoming contract vote. As most of us know we have been going through this negotiation for a couple of years. Most of us could use a pay raise and extra income as times are tight and nothing costs what it did a few years ago. With all of that being said I feel that the proposed contract does not benefit the members of the Lauderhill Police Department and in fact it is a punch to the face for all the hard work we have done over the past years.
Remember that each of us is put in harms way on a daily basis. Each of us straps a gun on your waist and defends the citizens of the City of Lauderhill. We take an oath of duty and risk our lives to help without fear or worry. That reason alone should be the reward from the City Government to compensate us as equally as every police agency in this county.
We are one of two public service departments in the City of Lauderhill and one is no better then the other and one depends on the other in order to complete a mission. They should not be compensated at a greater rate then us and we should not be compensated more then they. However, they have a cola after retirement and we do not … they have a greater salary and we do not. They have a higher retirement multiplier then us and yet the City Government still insists we must reduce our pension benefits. Please City Government remember that a man with a gun can kill you just as dead as a house fire!
We must for once stand up and declare that we are a first rate police department with first rate officers. We must for once stand up and not take a few dollars and give away what was promised to each of us for the last 14 years. We must face the fact that in order to be taken seriously by the City Government we have to stand together and demand what is due to each of us. We do not have to give up benefits and the City Government knows we have been under paid for years.
The City Manager promised all of us that he wanted to make us in the top third police agency in the county … you now must demand that he does that and does it quickly as we also have families to feed. We have been fair and we have been patient but we must stand up now and fight. Each of you officers must remember that Lauderhill's other public service department is in the top 3rd in the county. (Not mad at you FD ... I would have taken it too).
Let me point out what we would lose:
• Arbitration rights on a written reprimand
• Right to chose what squad you wanted to work on (management would reserve that right)
• Loss of 25% of your PBH value (City now only wants to pay you 75% of your money)
• Unlimited overtime towards retirement would be capped at 300 hours
• Sick and Vacation would now be capped at a much lower rate of hours
• Details would no longer count towards retirement (no reimbursement for monies already paid into the pension has been spelled out)
• No more cola for retirees or any benefits for that matter
These are just a few of the things the City Government wishes to take away from you.
The City can do many things to alleviate financial burdens and none of those moves would require them to take so many items from the police pension. State Law requires us to give these benefits away … they can not just be taken and we should not part with any unless an equal or better benefit is given or better yet a pay increase that would truly place us with the other elite agencies in the county.
As much as I need the pay increase I could not sell myself to give away so much for a few thousand dollars … believe me I really need the money and I know a bunch of you do too! I am asking for each of you to say “NO” and demand that we get paid accordingly without losing all of the benefits promised to us or give up the rights that protect us when unjust or unfair write ups are done.
I would rather have everything taken from me by force then just give it away because I was scared and blinked at a few dollars.
In closing I know the economy is bad and people are losing jobs … I feel for everyone that is effected by what is going on … but this is precisely why we need a strong highly motivated police department. History shows that during these times when the economy is so bad crime goes so out of control and lawlessness and mayhem take over. We will continue to work hard, do the right things and keep crime under control … we took an oath and we stand by it … Remember "WE STAND BY WHAT WE SAY"!
Be safe my Brothers and Sisters … We will always survive because we have each others backs!
God Bless,
MG AKA..VIC