Hello,
In case you did not hear there was a decertification vote held on May 20 TH and May 21 ST.
During that voting process 449 Deputy's and Corporals voted to give up their rights to Collectively Bargain. While 137 voted to maintain their rights. With 839 eligible voters, 253 of eligible voters did not vote. The numbers to remove the union were overwhelming. As one sided as the numbers are, I still believe that the WCFPBA was effective.
I want to thank each member, (which as of May 23 rd was still over 300 in Detention and around 500 within the HCSO), for their support and trust. I want to thank you for your in put and your stand.
I want to thank each and every member of the Chapter Board. These men and women possibly put their careers in jeopardy, their personal lives on the back burner and stood up for the membership. These Board Members should be proud of what they were able to accomplish, they can still hold their heads up high, knowing that they gave it their best shot. Knowing they took a job most would not and fought hard for you. Deputy's have a hard job, care, custody and control of inmates, but your Board Members not only did that job, they also took on the task of caring for you.
Over the last four years or so Board Members spent their days off attending chapter board meetings, charter board meetings, researching contracts, attending disciplinary hearing with members, complaint review boards, the list could go on and on. These people stood up, put their name and face in the spot light to do what you ask them to do. They should be proud. The goal from day one was to help make this a better HCSO. It was never an attempt to run the office, it was an initiative to work with the HCSO to make this a better place to work.
Did I make mistakes? You bet I did, as President, any and all mistakes were my fault, and I take full responsibility for them. One thing I can tell you is that any mistakes that were made were honest mistakes and made in the effort to make a positive change for the membership.
During the first contract negotiating period theses Board Members used countless hours of their own leave time, spent a lot of their own money and spent many hours of their off time preparing, and negotiating. A lot of time and work goes into putting together a complex document such as a labor contract. This contract was history in the making, the first union contract for the HCSO Deputy's, one of the first in the state for any Sheriff's office. With this contract the PBA was able to maintain all the benefits that each member already had. The WCFPBA also secured a step plan that saw many Deputy's receive a substantial pay increase. This step plan should serve as a model for HCSO pay raises forever.
During the last contract negotiating period, the Board worked long and hard to lock up parity pay for the Membership, this is long over due. The Board also fought for changes in the HCSO disciplinary process. The Board did every thing within the law to secure a contract, all stops were pulled, no stone was left unturned. We simply ran out of time, for whatever the reasons may be, we ran out of time.
Since the vote many Deputy's have asked me "whats next, now what?" Well there is a two week period to work through any issues that may come up after the vote, then around June 6 th the results will be official. I do not for see any issues that could come up that would have an effect on the vote.
Since the vote several Deputy's have ask me "whats next for you?" Well, I will continue to try to do the best job I can as a Detention Corporal. And after the HCSO and I work through my latest disciplinary issue, I plan to finish another 3 1/2 years to complete a thirty year run and retire. I have been asked "if" a labor union tries to come back into Detention before I retire would I run for president? NO, My wife and the rest of my family and I have paid more dues than any one should have to pay. I am done with union Business involving the HCSO. I will continue to finish out my obligation to the WCFPBA as 2 nd vice President. I also will continue to help any Deputy that needs my help, as a Detention Corporal, friend, co worker or otherwise. But not as a union official.
Again, thank you for your support. I hope that you also continue to have a long and healthy career.
Steve Dickey
WCFPBA Detention Chapter President
