Tom Meehan made a good point at the recent Shop Stewards meeting. We should get periodic updates on the status of the Fragmentation, DFR, and GOER negotiations. Bob the NYSUT legal representative made a very good presentation at the meeting.
Hopefully the Executive Board will post the latest info online for all the members to be updated. It's only January, but we'll be getting the rehire papers in March, and need to get them back. Rehire test in May, and the big Blue Angels Show/ Memorial Day weekend is coming up fast.
Alot of members I speak with have 2 issues they're most conerned with: Pay Raises and retro pay. We're going on 6 seasons without a pay raise, which would bring about some serious retro pay should we get what the others in NYSCOPBA law enforcement got in the 2003-2007 NYSCOPBA contract.
The third issue, as I see it, is who will ultimately represent us. PERB is in limbo, and NYSUT has been doing a great job working with us to help push a decision on representation. Will it be NYSCOPBA, CSEA, Council 82, NYSUT, or some other agency. According to the presentation anything is possible. Will PERB rule? if they ever get Spitzer and Bruno on the same page and make a third board member. Will the Nassau Supreme Justice rule in our DFR case? They can't place us, but they can make things uncomfortable for NYSCOPBA and GOER for not properly representing us as they're bound to do according to PERB. Will the parties involved come to some sort of Global agreement, that seems to be what they are working toward. If all parties can agree we can be placed, hopefully in NYSUT which seems to be the best group for us. CSEA doesn't seem too good, NYSCOPBA has been horrible, and we had 27 years in Council 82 where we spent most of them trying to get out!
Alot of possibilities, keep informed and read the latest Bucket and Bouys and the website.
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