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New Mexico COPS on Mend, Organizing on Rise
The New Mexico Coalition of Public Safety Officers/CWA Local 7911 at its peak represented 500 local and county police and sheriff's department employees. It lost nearly half its members when the state's collective bargaining law expired under Republican Governor Gary Johnson. Like CWA's New Mexico state workers - more than 3,000 organized in the last year - it is well on its way to regaining its former strength under the new bargaining rights law signed by Democratic Governor Bill Richardson.
"Now that we've got the statute, there's a lot more interest in organizing" said Local President Steve Harvey, who just welcomed a new group to the local. NMCOPS on July 28 won a card check for about 22 deputies of the Socorro County Sheriff's Department.
The county sheriff's association contacted the local shortly after the new bargaining law went into effect on July 1, 2003.
The county had scaled back deputies' hours to 36 a week to save money and, said their association President Richard Wells, some became so strapped for cash that they were depending upon food stamps. Safety also became an issue. Because of a hiring freeze, fewer deputies had to cover the same large territory. About 90 percent of the deputies signed cards, Wells said.
The victory put Local 7911's membership over the 300 mark, Harvey noted, and Bergen said the local has petitions pending with the state labor board for several other units, seeking a card check for about 40 sheriffs' deputies in Sandoval County, an election for 150 deputies and administrative employees in Dona Ana County, and an election for 100 corrections officers and other workers at the Dona Ana Correctional Facility. State law permits a card check if only one union claims interest in the bargaining unit.
"Now that we've got the statute, there's a lot more interest in organizing" said Local President Steve Harvey, who just welcomed a new group to the local. NMCOPS on July 28 won a card check for about 22 deputies of the Socorro County Sheriff's Department.
The county sheriff's association contacted the local shortly after the new bargaining law went into effect on July 1, 2003.
The county had scaled back deputies' hours to 36 a week to save money and, said their association President Richard Wells, some became so strapped for cash that they were depending upon food stamps. Safety also became an issue. Because of a hiring freeze, fewer deputies had to cover the same large territory. About 90 percent of the deputies signed cards, Wells said.
The victory put Local 7911's membership over the 300 mark, Harvey noted, and Bergen said the local has petitions pending with the state labor board for several other units, seeking a card check for about 40 sheriffs' deputies in Sandoval County, an election for 150 deputies and administrative employees in Dona Ana County, and an election for 100 corrections officers and other workers at the Dona Ana Correctional Facility. State law permits a card check if only one union claims interest in the bargaining unit.