Contract '07

Just came from the meeting. Excellent showing and it was really an informative spirited meeting. I can't say enough good things about our board members. They are doing an incredible Job. Please get with one of them tomorrow if you were not at the meeting. We have another Very important step to take tomorrow. We need to all stand together and show we are not Going to stand down this time . Please get with a board member or ask around who was at the meeting for details and times. Tomorrow we need to stand Together. Moving to IUPA was only the first step........lets continue to the next phase and take control of our destiny.


Be safe everyone.

I had the opportunity to attend my first negotiations last Friday and couldn't believe what I heard from the city's side.

The union attorney brought up the fact about a rumor that the city plans on putting in a 12 hour shift in place in January with volunteers. Assistant Chief Reuther and Major Roobinson looked like they got caught with their pants down. First the Major denied it, then Reuther threw him under the bus saying that they talked about a pilot program during a staff meeting. The best part was that they were more concerned about a leak in the command staff, not about illegally instituting this change as per the union attorney. The union attorney stated, "that's why there isn't any trust between the officers and administration" because of things like this.

Then to top it off, the city wants to eliminate language in the contract "stating no matter what shift we pick on the shift pick, they could tell each and every one of us, that one day you are working days, the next midnights, next afternoons or one of the new hours they want. I felt like a second class officer the way they were treating us. They treat the civilians better than their officers.

Oh, their wage/salary offer was the same they offered us in May, a slap in the face to each officer and their family.

It's about time that we go to impasse, way over due and hold a no-confidence vote on you know who. After all he isn't an officers best friend.

:cry: I am very disappointed the City is treating us so unfairly. The time for double standards needs to come to an end. It's okay for administrations throughout the City to get a hefty raise, but the "grunt workers" get pennies. We Officers are the ones who make them look good, but we get treated the worst. The "no respect for officers" needs to come to an end.

:lol: Kudos to Joe Edge for his public records request so the truth can be brought out into the open. Let's not forget that last year that the Parks & Rec Administration people received about a 10% raise. For what? To put on a party? Must be nice. Very, very few people would put up with what we do and be expected to take a bullet for another person for such minimal pay.

:P To our Union Reps: Thank you for all you have done, and continue to do!! Just let us know what our options are and what we can do to help!! :idea:

PORT ST. LUCIE — After months of failed contract talks, Port St. Lucie police officers have declared an impasse in negotiations with city leaders, meaning a special magistrate will be appointed to recommend new contract terms.

Negotiators on Friday were unable to agree on issues ranging from pay hikes and work shifts to take-home cars and off-duty details. As a result, Matt Mierzwa, an attorney for the International Union of Police Associations Local 6015, notified the Public Employees Relations Commission of the impasse.

Although a gap in pay proposals is chief among the groups' differences, Mierzwa said equally troubling to officers is the city's desire to rewrite the contract to give it sweeping authority to change officers' work shifts, off-duty details and take-home car privileges.

"A week after we sign this, they could change our shifts, take away our vehicles and end special duty pay," Mierzwa said. "The city has to treat its officers with respect. We lost ground with this proposal."

Assistant Police Chief Brian Reuther, the city's lead contract negotiator, said Monday he was unaware an impasse had been declared and is disappointed. He declined to discuss details of contract talks, but in a memo sent to City Manager Don Cooper Monday he disputed the union's claims that it is seeking step raises of only 3 percent this year and 5 percent each of the next two years.

Reuther wrote that a preliminary analysis of officers' wage proposal indicates the city's roughly 190 officers are seeking step increases of 4.7 percent this year, followed by 7.7 percent in 2008-09 and 7.5 percent in 2009-10. The combined effect of step increases and higher pay grades would mean overall pay hikes of 7 percent to 13 percent over the three-year period, Reuther said.

Officials, meanwhile, have offered officers a step raise of 3 percent this year, followed by 3.5 percent each of the next two years. Under the previous three-year contract, enacted in 2004, starting officers earned $37,158 and stepped up to $40,283 their second year. Just before the contract expired in September 2007, starting officers earned $38,608.

Working without a contract since Oct. 1, officers dressed in union T-shirts filled the council chambers May 27 to show support for their salary plan. Sergeants and lieutenants recently adopted contracts with pay hikes similar to what officers have rejected.

Although a special magistrate will hear arguments from both sides before suggesting new contract terms, Mierzwa conceded that under state law, the city council will have the final word on what a new contract includes.

"This is not a favorable process to labor organizations," Mierzwa said. "We can't strike, so we either have to agree to whatever the city gives us or go through the process."

To everyone. The Board of Directors thanks each and every officer for their support.

REMEMBER: UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL.

STAND STRONG, STICK TOGETHER, BE PROFESSIONAL AND MOST OF ALL STAY SAFE.

We will be informing all our fellow brother and sister officers regarding our next course of action. Stay tuned.

WHERE IS THE LIST? LET'S GET ONE STARTED, I WILL BE THE FIRST ONE TO SIGN!!! :lol: :wink:

I for one would not work for this department if we don't get a fair deal.

They love playing with peoples lives and I have a family to support.

The games that go on here is absolutely embarrassing. I'm ashamed to tell people i work for this department! I've always heard of certain dept. causing scandals but it's always the officers and not the Brass. Here, the brass is the embarrassment. They so blatantly demonstrate their arrogance and ignorance.

I say we stand together and VOTE FOR NO CONFIDENCE! :twisted:

what if nobody showed up for work? i mean nobody? what would the city say then? would the capt's, and lt's be out there taking calls? traffic stops? meeting their future "quotas"?

“What If nobody showed up for work?” Unfortunately, we who wear the uniform don’t have the luxury of picketing or not showing up for work due to our contract or lack of……. :cry:

But, THE GOOD NEWS is the volunteers make up about 30% of the work force in the city. Rumor has it that they are organizing and boycotting the city. GOD BLESS THEM! :lol:
I for one will be bring in coffee everyday…. :wink:
I want to see the Brass do the work they selflessly do everyday. :twisted:

I'm sure you all haven't noticed, because it's not something that the Coastal Florida PBA will brag about on their website, but they just lost ANOTHER unfair labor practice that they filed, this one against the Flagler County Sheriff's Office. Was this filed a labor attorney? No, it was filed by staff rep Johnny D. Bingham, and promptly thrown out by the PERC General Counsel Steve Meck for among other reasons, Johnny not citing to the proper law (and citing to the contract, rather than the law) in his unfair labor practice charge and for NOT INCLUDING A COPY OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT with his unfair labor practice charge.

http://perc.myflorida.com/co/orderResul ... &Prefix=CA

Case number 2008-CA-066, Coastal Florida PBA v. Flagler County Sheriff's Office, dismissed in two days.