Ask the PBA

Matt, it is unfortunate you feel this way. Here is the better question: why is my PBA not keeping me informed and asking what direction we should go? We pay you to keep us informed. Imagine this, go back and read the 2008 copy of the PBA news letter...article about how great the 40 hour work week is and even trying to get FDLE to go to it. Then you agree to give it away? Also, one important line....IUPA got us pay raises. Money is important if you have not been following the posts.

Frankly, the idea of a 9% pay raise this year is great, but realize that makes it 1.5% for the last 6 years. And it is nice to see that now, after the fact, you will be asking to keep people from loosing annual leave while trying to cut down on special comp. Question though, why did you guys sign the MOU without addressing the issue first? What happened to not signing? PBA needs to be pro-gressive, not reactive. PBA needs to inform the membership, both dues paying and non paying, before the action takes place, not after. Thanks for coming to the forum, but ask yourself, what has it actually accomplished? You should have been here years ago and on 10-43 when it was around.

And it is still hurtfull to a lot of us when we hear about the phone calls raising money and they always say FHP....because people will give money to us, but we never ever see it. Try raising money for FDLE or Dept. Of Corrections, both equally important by the way, but look who brings in the money and who gets paid the money. Now you know why they give it to us, because they see the same information that was posted. 16 years and the guy is making how much?

Keep working on helping the collective bargaining unit, instead of subtly shifting the blame.



quote="Matt Puckett"]

Hate to be a kill-joy, but I think the PBA has been doing a really pathetic job. How do you justify a 16 year Trooper making the same salary as somebody hired right off the street? This is a result of years and years of neglect. PBA has been running the show around here for most of that time so they can't shift the blame to anybody else. This is an outrage. If I was PBA I'd be embarrassed. $33,700 is an unacceptable salary for a 16 year LEO when a brand new hire is making $33,000. Simply pitiful.

I'm sure you hated posting this.

I think the pay is disgraceful, too. But when you say things like " PBA has been running the show" or "If I was PBA, I'd be embarrassed" aren't you the one shifting the blame? Are you pointing the finger at the PBA, or do you really mean the "Tallahassee Staff" and "The FHP Chapter Board?" Where are you in all of this? If you are so upset by the pathetic PBA, are you really trying to change it? If so how? Or are you just looking for the next union to come along so you can not be involved with it either?

I took note of a statement in a previous post about the weakness of unions in the "right to work" states. I think that perspective is a bit overblown. Unions are strong based on membership involvement. A union with 100% membership sounds nice, but if only a few of the members are involved, it is also meaningless. You are the union. So if you don't think your union is working for you get involved to fix it. I'm on here just so people like you can tell me what needs improvement. I'm not hiding from anything and I want to listen.

I don't mind the complaining. I can take the heat, too. But maybe somewhere in your post, you can offer something constructive.

Maybe "Hey PBA, you're horrible and worthless, but if we convinced more legislators to do ride-alongs they'd be less inclined to pay us such a low salary."

Your chapter is strong and involved. Can we improve upon it? Hell, yes, but we need people like you to start rowing in the same direction with the rest of us.

BTW - There's no shifting the blame from me. I'm right here with my nose in it.[/quote]

Matt
When could we expect to hear any information on the ruling.

Not Matt but the ruling will either be Thursday the 20th or after the new year on the pension case.

[Matt Puckett]

Dear guess not,

Two points.
One - the special compensation ( DMS proposal) was put to a vote by every trooper not just members. It did not pass. Negotiations are still on going. I posted our proposal. Do you have anything to add? Suggestions on a different approach?

Second - the 40 hour work week was not given away. We went impasse over it in 2011 and the Legislature gave sole authority to the command. Even with that authority, the chapter and colonel negotiated an 80 hour work week.

Have you actually read any of the posts on this stream? Guess not.

You know, I think Souper Trooper meant that if it came to a vote between the two, he would not vote for IUPA. That's the way I took it.

Could be souper trooper is not really a trooper.

Hate to be a kill-joy, but I think the PBA has been doing a really pathetic job. How do you justify a 16 year Trooper making the same salary as somebody hired right off the street? This is a result of years and years of neglect. PBA has been running the show around here for most of that time so they can't shift the blame to anybody else. This is an outrage. If I was PBA I'd be embarrassed. $33,700 is an unacceptable salary for a 16 year LEO when a brand new hire is making $33,000. Simply pitiful.

I'm sure you hated posting this.

I think the pay is disgraceful, too. But when you say things like " PBA has been running the show" or "If I was PBA, I'd be embarrassed" aren't you the one shifting the blame? Are you pointing the finger at the PBA, or do you really mean the "Tallahassee Staff" and "The FHP Chapter Board?" Where are you in all of this? If you are so upset by the pathetic PBA, are you really trying to change it? If so how? Or are you just looking for the next union to come along so you can not be involved with it either?

I took note of a statement in a previous post about the weakness of unions in the "right to work" states. I think that perspective is a bit overblown. Unions are strong based on membership involvement. A union with 100% membership sounds nice, but if only a few of the members are involved, it is also meaningless. You are the union. So if you don't think your union is working for you get involved to fix it. I'm on here just so people like you can tell me what needs improvement. I'm not hiding from anything and I want to listen.

I don't mind the complaining. I can take the heat, too. But maybe somewhere in your post, you can offer something constructive.

Maybe "Hey PBA, you're horrible and worthless, but if we convinced more legislators to do ride-alongs they'd be less inclined to pay us such a low salary."

Your chapter is strong and involved. Can we improve upon it? Hell, yes, but we need people like you to start rowing in the same direction with the rest of us.

BTW - There's no shifting the blame from me. I'm right here with my nose in it.

Okay, so if I do join, what do I get from my $35 a month?

Hate to be a kill-joy, but I think the PBA has been doing a really pathetic job. How do you justify a 16 year Trooper making the same salary as somebody hired right off the street? This is a result of years and years of neglect. PBA has been running the show around here for most of that time so they can't shift the blame to anybody else. This is an outrage. If I was PBA I'd be embarrassed. $33,700 is an unacceptable salary for a 16 year LEO when a brand new hire is making $33,000. Simply pitiful.

I'm sure you hated posting this.

I think the pay is disgraceful, too. But when you say things like " PBA has been running the show" or "If I was PBA, I'd be embarrassed" aren't you the one shifting the blame? Are you pointing the finger at the PBA, or do you really mean the "Tallahassee Staff" and "The FHP Chapter Board?" Where are you in all of this? If you are so upset by the pathetic PBA, are you really trying to change it? If so how? Or are you just looking for the next union to come along so you can not be involved with it either?

I took note of a statement in a previous post about the weakness of unions in the "right to work" states. I think that perspective is a bit overblown. Unions are strong based on membership involvement. A union with 100% membership sounds nice, but if only a few of the members are involved, it is also meaningless. You are the union. So if you don't think your union is working for you get involved to fix it. I'm on here just so people like you can tell me what needs improvement. I'm not hiding from anything and I want to listen.

I don't mind the complaining. I can take the heat, too. But maybe somewhere in your post, you can offer something constructive.

Maybe "Hey PBA, you're horrible and worthless, but if we convinced more legislators to do ride-alongs they'd be less inclined to pay us such a low salary."

Your chapter is strong and involved. Can we improve upon it? Hell, yes, but we need people like you to start rowing in the same direction with the rest of us.

BTW - There's no shifting the blame from me. I'm right here with my nose in it.

Okay, so if I do join, what do I get from my $35 a month?

A stronger membership. The more members, the stronger your PBA is. The state thinks FHP a joke because you guys are all divided from each other and all other law enforcement. The cure to all of your problems, discipline, pay, equipment, and etc. is a stronger membership. Put yourself in the state's shoes. If you had Matt Puckett show up in your negotiation room with about 10 troopers, would you take that seriously? How about 100 troopers? What about the entire off-duty membership taking up all the spots in the parking lot and troopers in a line wrapped around the building? That would be a real problem for you if you were the state getting ready to negotiate an insurance premium increase or another pay cut of some sort. But it is not a problem and the state can easily cut pay and benefits because you all complain but don't take up pitch forks and torches to storm the castle like you should be. This is how it works in other agencies and that is why they have step increases and double your pay. Everyone joins the membership. Yeah it sucks paying $35 a month but give it some time and if everyone joins, it will pay out way more. Strength in numbers, it really works. If you don't believe me, do your research. It never helps to complain, you have to take action.

Okay, so if I do join, what do I get from my $35 a month?

Well, for starters you are going to save three dollars, because the dues are only $32.00 per month. Full disclosure, you may choose to become a Federal Political Action Committee Supporter for an additional dollar, and in that circumstance you will pay $33.00 per month in dues.

I'm answering this question, because you asked it. I am not on this forum to solicit membership.

What do you get for your money?

The short answer is we have a big network of resources available to you. Our most popular service is our legal benefit. We have attorneys both on staff and affiliated with us throughout the state available to you 24/7 to provide comprehensive legal coverage for job related incidents and discipline. We will defend you administratively, in criminal cases, and in civil cases. We provide service from beginning to the end. Our legal defense fund pools the resources of every member so that expense is not a road block to your legal coverage.

We maintain our HQs in Tallahassee, because that is where the Capitol is located. We have five staff lobbyists and each president of each chapter and charter is a registered lobbyist. Having a fully operational year round lobbying staff allows PBA to stay engaged.

Our staff also provides services to you in the field and they are available to 24/7.

Your chapter board is exclusive to you and they are your advocates to the administration, the legislature, and the executive branch. They are the governing body on contract negotiations and they set the direction. They need your feedback and involvement in order to better service.

Being part of an association like the PBA is not like signing up for insurance. At least it shouldn't be. If you want to join the PBA, it should be for the purpose of making your career and working environment the best it can be. It requires involvement. The PBA staff is nothing more than a collection of resources that officers over time have agreed are necessary to achieve the association's goals.

A previous poster said I should be asking for direction. The PBA is not me. I have a role within the association, but you are the PBA. Your Chapter is eager to have your input and direction. If you have issues with direction, you have to give input to your chapter.

I'm on this forum to help provide you with information. I should be viewed as a resource and nothing more.

I encourage you to find the time to talk with chapter representatives. They are Troopers just like you and they are eager to hear from you.

[Matt Puckett]

I posted the previous post under Matt.

Lets call next years raise proposal " The FHP 75th anniversary pay equity stipend". or "The keep our Troopers off welfare pay adjustment", or "The Highway patrol anti-austerity and safety enhancement act". Any others?

[Matt Puckett]

Lets call next years raise proposal " The FHP 75th anniversary pay equity stipend". or "The keep our Troopers off welfare pay adjustment", or "The Highway patrol anti-austerity and safety enhancement act". Any others?

I like the idea of a slogan this year. The "FHP 75th Anniversary" tie in is really good.