To the Membership:

Investigator Sergeant Position / Contract Language – The vote was 72 to 51 to withdraw the lawsuit and Improper Practice charges against the County for implementing the position of Investigator Sergeant and making changes to the CBA without ratification from the members. While this decision does not make everyone happy, due diligence was done. The board and the membership took the precautions necessary to allow time for us to discuss the situation by filing the proper paper work. We heard both sides at the membership meeting on October 21st and allowed members to speak their opinions. On December 13th we had a vote to decide what our union should do and the majority spoke. The vote was close enough to show that your vote does matter.

Membership meetings – By now I hope the board and I have demonstrated that we are very transparent. We are attempting to make sure that the membership is made clear about our actions and the rationale behind them. Trust is a must for you to be comfortable and confident in us. We are doing everything we can to empower you to feel this way.
I want to thank all those who attended on Monday. For the most part, we acted like a true union by being professional, supportive and encouraging. It’s evident that we all want a good contract in 2013. The entire membership has a vested interest in it so it is a priority. Starting the first of the year, the board and I will begin strategizing to make this happen. In this regard, we will be selecting a negotiating committee consisting of members with a varying amount of time on the job, rank and experience.

To make this union successful in the future, the more members that can partake in this initiative the better. Based on the interest already expressed from a few individuals, I am confident we will be adequately prepared for success. We will continue to keep the membership updated with our work in this area and look to you for any recommendations.

Union Guest Panel – I hope everyone is pleased with the information provided by the union guest panel. These gentlemen took time from their personal schedules to attend our meeting to share information and answer questions. Our affiliation with PCNY is crucial and we will utilize this resource to assist us with police legislation and our next contract negotiations. The Monroe County PBA is also a great benefit that reflects the importance of our brotherhood in law enforcement. We currently have an excellent relationship with every police agency in this County whom we can reach out at when we need support. With experienced union police leaders like Mike DiGiovanni and Mike Mazzeo, assistance is only a phone call away.

Motion for a vote – At our 2nd meeting, Tony Messura motioned to have a vote to pursue the Teamsters union in taking over our union, Jeff Bove seconded the motion and I tabled the motion. The board and I have discussed it and there is no merit to have a vote.

As clearly demonstrated in Monday’s meeting, it is a minority of the membership that is entertaining this idea. The fact is that the teamsters can only take over this union with a decertification of our union from PERB. I explained to Tony that they will need 30% of our membership to sign an actual legal petition to present to PERB (approximately 82 members), at that time; PERB will reach out to us with the need for a vote. This window is only open 7 months prior to our next contract expiring in May of 2012, at which time my term as President will be ended. If that’s the platform the next candidate would like to run on then that is their prerogative. Tony informed the membership of an upcoming information meeting with the Teamsters later this month. Members are free to attend that, but this is the end of any further discussion about this matter unless I am contacted by PERB. Our time needs to be wisely spent preparing for our next contract.

Union Attorney – Larry Andolina and Dan DeBolt will be our attorneys from here on out. Over the last 5 months they have provided us with excellent information and have been at our beck and call. At our meeting, no other members showed interest in any other respectable attorney candidates.

Secretary Position – The Secretary Position will be voted on at our annual meeting in February. If you are interested in running please submit your name to me in an email.

Calendars – Calendars have been ordered and will be out by Christmas.

January 1st marks the start of a new year for all. The board and I finally have a clear plate and we are ready to move forward and begin preparing for contract negotiations. I’d like to sincerely thank the current union reps that are doing a fantastic job! Thank you for your continued support and dedication to the mission of this union.

As always, please call me with any concerns 509-5601.

Merry Christmas and God Bless,
MCS PBA President, Greg Woodworth
12/15/10