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Phoenix Police Supervisors Affiliate with CWA Local
Meet and discuss. Meet and confer. Big difference, says Chuck Foy, president of the Arizona Coalition of Police and Sheriffs. So big that it spurred 406 police sergeants and lieutenants in Phoenix, Ariz., to become AZCOPS/CWA Local 7077 members.
“‘Meet and discuss’ means you walk in, drop your proposals on the table, and management says, see you later. ‘Meet and confer’ means there’s good faith bargaining on both sides,” Foy said.
That was the issue Sgt. Matt Knowles and a small group of leaders brought to AZCOPS about a year ago, when they were represented by the Management Association of Police Employees. The name says it all.
“From 1976 to the present, Phoenix police sergeants and lieutenants were represented by a nonunion association which amounted to a good old boys club,” Knowles said. Almost no dues, and no service, were the status quo.
Also last year, Knowles met John Burpo, director of CWA’s National Coalition of Public Safety Officers.
“I was really excited about his involvement with AZCOPS and about their sense of direction and organization,” Knowles said. “It was obvious to me from the get-go that this was the direction we should take.”
Thus was born the Phoenix Police Sergeants and Lieutenants Association, an affiliate of AZCOPS that would compete with MAPE in a representation election.
Burpo, Foy and AZCOPS Staff Representative Tim Clark explained the concept to the Phoenix officers: They would eliminate MAPE, and the new PPSLA with the help of AZCOPS and the national coalition would lobby the city council and other Phoenix decision makers for “meet and confer” status. Then they could address issues such as pay parity and uneven levels of benefits.
In the May 15 election the officers voted 181 for PPSLA, 98 for MAPE and 16 for no union.
In many police departments around the country, the ranks of sergeant and above are barred from union membership.
“We’re talking here about supervisors,” Burpo said. “The other side operated on the premise they didn’t need to belong to an AFL-CIO union. We explained to them why it was to their advantage to belong to one, and especially to CWA. At least 61 percent believed the argument.”
PPSLA leaders “worked really, really hard at this,” Foy said.
Knowles stuffed hundreds of envelopes for mailing to members. Lt. Ron Henry made phone calls to get members out to vote. Sgts. Carmen Kortes and Rick Aguirre talked to officers over lunch or coffee or in small groups.
PPSLA’s victory brought members the option of payroll dues deduction, which will allow them to build a sound financial base.
“It’s noteworthy that 31 percent signed up within the first week,” Knowles said.
With Knowles at the helm as interim president, PPSLA is already gearing up its campaign for meet and confer status.
“‘Meet and discuss’ means you walk in, drop your proposals on the table, and management says, see you later. ‘Meet and confer’ means there’s good faith bargaining on both sides,” Foy said.
That was the issue Sgt. Matt Knowles and a small group of leaders brought to AZCOPS about a year ago, when they were represented by the Management Association of Police Employees. The name says it all.
“From 1976 to the present, Phoenix police sergeants and lieutenants were represented by a nonunion association which amounted to a good old boys club,” Knowles said. Almost no dues, and no service, were the status quo.
Also last year, Knowles met John Burpo, director of CWA’s National Coalition of Public Safety Officers.
“I was really excited about his involvement with AZCOPS and about their sense of direction and organization,” Knowles said. “It was obvious to me from the get-go that this was the direction we should take.”
Thus was born the Phoenix Police Sergeants and Lieutenants Association, an affiliate of AZCOPS that would compete with MAPE in a representation election.
Burpo, Foy and AZCOPS Staff Representative Tim Clark explained the concept to the Phoenix officers: They would eliminate MAPE, and the new PPSLA with the help of AZCOPS and the national coalition would lobby the city council and other Phoenix decision makers for “meet and confer” status. Then they could address issues such as pay parity and uneven levels of benefits.
In the May 15 election the officers voted 181 for PPSLA, 98 for MAPE and 16 for no union.
In many police departments around the country, the ranks of sergeant and above are barred from union membership.
“We’re talking here about supervisors,” Burpo said. “The other side operated on the premise they didn’t need to belong to an AFL-CIO union. We explained to them why it was to their advantage to belong to one, and especially to CWA. At least 61 percent believed the argument.”
PPSLA leaders “worked really, really hard at this,” Foy said.
Knowles stuffed hundreds of envelopes for mailing to members. Lt. Ron Henry made phone calls to get members out to vote. Sgts. Carmen Kortes and Rick Aguirre talked to officers over lunch or coffee or in small groups.
PPSLA’s victory brought members the option of payroll dues deduction, which will allow them to build a sound financial base.
“It’s noteworthy that 31 percent signed up within the first week,” Knowles said.
With Knowles at the helm as interim president, PPSLA is already gearing up its campaign for meet and confer status.