The Broward Centurion

Transcription

1 The Broward Centurion The Official Publication of The Broward County Police Benevolent Association In This Issue: PBA Endorsements 4 Wilton Manors Approves Contract 5 Hollywood Annual Picnic... 7 Mother s Day Traditions... 9 Volume 15, Issue 5 May 2012 Impasse Hearing: PBA Vs. BSO by Claudia Estrada, Assistant General Counsel In June 2011 the Broward County PBA and BSO began negotiating the two reopeners in the Deputies and Sergeants Collective Bargaining Agreement, Article 19 - Wages and Article 36 - Insurance. After several months of negotiating, on December 16, 2011, the bargaining unit members voted to reject BSO s proposals and BSO declared impasse. On April 24, 2012 the Broward County Commission held a Public Hearing to resolve the impasse between BSO and the Broward County PBA Deputies and Sergeants Unit pursuant to Florida Statutes. This is an update of the public hearing: Both parties, the PBA and BSO, had an opportunity to submit recommendations for resolution of the impasse to the Broward County Commission for a Public Hearing. The parties also had an opportunity to submit exhibits in support of their recommendations. Since BSO declared impasse, BSO presented its case first, reserving some time for rebuttal. The Sheriff s case was presented by a privately retained attorney from Miami-Dade County. The Sheriff himself addressed the Commission in BSO s rebuttal. The PBA made its presentation, reserving some time for its rebuttal. The PBA President and Assistant General Counsel spoke on behalf of the Deputies and Sergeants. The Broward County Commission resolved the impasse over Article 19 Wages, by voting to deny the BSO Deputies and Sergeants the 3% Wage Increase proposed by the PBA. The Broward County Commission then discussed Article 36 Insurance, and posed questions to both the PBA and BSO. The following are some of the concerns raised by the Commission: Commissioner Lieberman specifically wanted to know if BSO had priced the cost of a PBA proposal made during negotiations. After several BSO representatives (2 attorneys and 2 Wells Fargo representatives) gave the Commission the run-around instead of answering Commissioner Lieberman s question, BSO finally admitted that it had not calculated the financial impact of the PBA s proposal. Commissioners Gunzburger and Ritter found it unacceptable and were appalled that as part of their Executive Staff Benefit Package, BSO s executive staff members are not required to pay health insurance premiums. As a result of the unanswered questions posed by the Commission to BSO, the Public Hearing was continued to a later date in May. The Commissioners stated that they will be submitting written questions to the PBA and BSO, both of whom will be permitted to submit written answers. The parties will then go back before the Broward County Commission to make brief presentations regarding the specific questions posed and answers provided. The PBA remained committed to its fundamental arguments and prevailed in bringing to light BSO s disparate treatment of its employees as well as its failure to effectively negotiate with the PBA.

2 The Broward Centurion The Official Publication of the Broward County PBA (A Charter of the Florida PBA) 2650 West State Road 84 Fort Lauderdale, Florida Telephone: 954/ Fax: 954/ Megan Gordon, Editor The Broward Centurion is published by the Broward County Police Benevolent Association for the sole benefit of its members. The Broward Centurion is dedicated to the advancement of the law enforcement profession through better and stronger community relations. The opinions expressed in the publication of The Broward Centurion are not necessarily those of the Broward County PBA, its Executive Board or the Board of Directors. Members or readers submitting letters to the editor or articles for publication are requested to adhere to the following: Submissions should be sent to: Broward County PBA Attn: Centurion 2650 West State Road 84 Fort Lauderdale, Florida Letters or articles must be accompanied by the writer s true name and address. All articles submitted for publication must be accompanied by a statement giving permission to publish. All submissions must be legible. The Broward County PBA reserves the right of the Executive Board or Editor to amend or to add an editor s comment to any article or letter submitted. Advertisement in this publication does not imply endorsement by the Broward County PBA unless otherwise specified. President s Letter Pat is out recovering from knee surgery; in his absence the other members of the Executive Board have authored this month s letter. The entire PBA family is grieving the passing of BSO Sgt. Ronnie DeAngelo s son, Vinnie, who lost his battle with Leukemia on April 13. Our thoughts and prayers are with the DeAngelo family. On April 17, the PBA s motion in the Chapter 185 lawsuit against the city of Hollywood was heard by Judge Towbin Singer. We are still awaiting her ruling and will keep you posted on any further developments. The PBA Executive Board For Pat Hanrahan 2

3 Executive Board Senior Vice President Jeff Marano Vice President Debbie Reggio Board of Directors BSO (Support) Paul Weiss BSO At Large (LE) Michael Joseph Catalano Ian Doriot Armando Enrique Robert Lahiff Jay Leiner Lee Martin Jim Pendergast Jeff Poole Mark Trudel BSO District (LE) Christopher Bradley Chris Caldwell Carlo Cardarelli Kelli Covet Steven Davis James Demato Rich Engels John Herrera Dean Mirra Art Perry Robert Petoskey Victor Rivas Ivan Roiz Ralph Romb Guntis Treijs Jerry Vosburgh BSO (Lts) Linda Canada-Stuck Broward Schools Investigative Unit Kathleen Andersen Coconut Creek Dan Eberly Darren Karp Coconut Creek (Sgts) Kirk Carlson Hallandale Beach Marc Dady Ed Diaz Ed McGovern Thomas Montellanico - Alt. President Patrick Hanrahan General Counsel Barbara Duffy Assistant General Counsel Claudia I. Estrada Treasurer Rodney Skirvin Secretary Drew Brooks Hillsboro Beach David Clark Hollywood Steven Bolger Chris Christianson Rick Losenbeck Keith Wadsworth Wilbur Fernander - Alt. Lighthouse Point Chris Oh Carmen Roldan Margate (Spvrs) Andy Zettek Miramar George Mankowski Thomas Tiberio Scott Untch Peter Bermudez - Alt. Jason Fox - Alt. Pembroke Pines Andrew Brooks Adam Feiner Chris Grant Sea Ranch Lakes Ron Stabile Mike Tarr - Alt. Sunrise Sunrise (Lts) Bob Dorn Wilton Manors Shawn Chadwick Nicholas Fiacco Frank Pilewski Immediate Past President Dick Brickman Legislative Chairman Neil Vaughan Welcome New Members Veronica Donohue Salvatore Garafalo James M. Hoy Kevin Loughran Harry Morgan Robert Rausch Paola Sanchez Joseph Santy Jarad Wahl Retired Alcibiades Hibbert Frank McGarry Pines SRO Officer Pines SRO Officer BSO Wilton Manors Pines SRO Officer BSO BSO Plantation BSO Office Staff Charter Secretary Linda Receptionist/Membership Lynn Secretary/Detail Coordinator Kim Legal Assistant Maryann Communications Director Megan 3

4 PBA Endorsements Support our candidates in 2012 We re gearing up for the general election on November 6th by screening candidates for various political offices. It s an ongoing process that benefits our members by helping to elect candidates that will champion our causes in government. We are currently endorsing the following candidates: August 14 Election Ari Porth Circuit Court Judge, Group 10 November 6th General Election Mike Satz State Attorney Lori Parrish Property Appraiser Stacy Ritter County Commissioner D3 Patti Good School Board, District 2 Martin Kiar County Commissioner, D1 Dale Ross Circuit Court Judge, Grp. 35 Kristin Jacobs US Rep, Dist. 22 We will update you as we add candidates. Charity Raffle Update State Updates The Florida Supreme Court accepted jurisdiction in the FRS case. Briefs are being filed in May and June, and oral arguments will be held on September 5th at 9 am. +++ Governor Scott signed the Fallen Heroes Act and the Violent Felons With Firearms bills in to law on Friday, April 6. The PBA played a major role in getting those bills through this year s legislative session. +++ The governor dismissed two officials and accepted the resignation of a third from the CJSTC because their appointments apparently violated a Florida law preventing more than one person from a single agency to serve on the committee. Two of those who were dismissed were ranked sergeant or below. Sources: Florida PBA, Sarasota Herald-Tribune BSO Sgt. Ronnie DeAngelo lost his 24-year-old son, Vinnie, to Leukemia on April 13. Vinnie s illness took a toll on the DeAngelo family, both emotionally and financially. While we cannot hope to ease the pain of losing a child, Ronnie s fellow PBA members have been doing their best to help ease the financial burden they have been left with. Thank you to everyone who participated, and to all the members who helped out by selling tickets. It s wonderful to see everyone come together to help a brother in need. We ll announce the winner of the two-night stay at Hawks Cay resort in the June issue of The Centurion and on our website,. 4 PBA reps from BSO have been selling raffle tickets in order to raise funds to offset some of the DeAngelo s bills. The drawing was scheduled for May 11, which falls after this issue has gone to press. At press time, the raffle has raised well over $5,000 for Ronnie s family.

5 The Broward Centurion May May Wilton Manors Approves Contract Recently bargaining unit members in Wilton Manors voted on a new collective bargaining agreement with the city. It was approved by a vote of 26 to 1. The agreement, which runs through September 2014, includes the following changes: Comp time accrual is capped at 100 hours (down from 120). Holiday hours rate of accural changed from 8.6 hours to 8 hours; holiday hours banked must be used within the calendar year. Pay: A 1% increase, retroactive to October 1, 2011 for the first year and an additional 1% increase in the second year of the agreement. There will be a reopener regarding wages in the third year. Additionally, the agreement includes the settlement of the pending unfair labor practice charge that the PBA filed against the City of Wilton Manors in which 17 bargaining unit members will have their hourly rate increased and the PBA will be given a $10,000 lump sum to be distributed to employees whose steps had been recinded as a result of the imposed contract. PBA Gets Red Light Camera Ticket Dismissed On April 12, the PBA was successful in getting a light camera ticket dismissed. The ticket was issued to a member; the alleged infraction occured while was he was on duty and in his marked unit. Unfortunately this is not an isolated incident. The PBA is handling several similar citations on behalf of our members.the results in this case bode well for those cases. We ll keep you posted on future developments. Retired? Retiring? We need to know! If you ve retired recently or are about to retire, please let us know so that we can switch your membership to retired rather than active. A retired PBA membership costs just $50 a year and will ensure that you continue to receive your copy of The Broward Centurion. It will also give you access to legal assistance for job-related matters within the statute of limitations as well as assistance with pension issues. Please contact our membership department at to make the switch. 5

6 The Broward Centurion Film Honors LEO Heroes The documentary film Heroes Behind The Badge, set for release this fall, features law enforcement officers who have put their lives on the line and survived, as well as those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. that he believes will create awareness about what it really means to walk the thin blue line. Fifty percent of the proceeds from the film will go to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), who helped to produce the project. Filmed throughout the US, the documentary will highlight the lives of four fallen officers and the impact their passing has had on their family members, colleagues and community. The film will also feature the stories of three officers who narrowly escaped death and how their nearfatal encounter has affected their lives. The film will also highlight the events of National Police Week in Washington, D.C. Retired Lt. Bill Erfurth, a 25-year veteran of the Miami-Dade Police Department is one of the producers. For him it is a labor of love Support the cause, take a stand, and initiate a movement against police violence, by spreading the word about the film. You can find Heroes Behind The Badge on Facebook (facebook.com/heroesbehindthebadge), Twitter (@ HeroesBTB), and via their website, heroesbehindthebadge.com., where you can preorder your copy of the film. 6

7 May May Hollywood PBA Annual Picnic April 15, TY Park All photos courtesy of Lt. Karen Zorsky, Hollywood PD 7

8 Letters & Thanks Judge Geoffrey Cohen 8

9 Mother s Day Traditions Don t forget Mom on May 13 Every spring people all over the world celebrate their mothers with Mother s Day. It can fall on different days, but the sentiment is always the same: We couldn t do without our moms. If you re a new parent who d like to establish new traditions or if you d just like to change things up for your mom, here are some traditional ways that Mother s Day is celebrated around the world. In Australia, people wear carnations to show their love for their mothers. A colored flower means their mother is living, while a white bloom honors a mom who has passed. In France, where Mother s Day is celebrated on the last Sunday in May (rather than the second Sunday as we do here), the family gathers for a special dinner where they give mom a cake in the shape of a bouquet of flowers. Motherhood has a very humanizing effect. Everything gets reduced to essentials. ~Meryl Streep In Ireland, Mom is honored on the fourth Sunday in Lent, after a tradition from medieval times when children were often sent away to work for wealthy families. During Lent, they were sent home for a single Sunday during the Lenten season to visit their mother church. Afterward they would visit their mothers, bringing them flowers they d picked along the way. You might try picking a bouquet of wildflowers or cutting a bunch from your own garden, making your mother a cake in the shape of a bouquet, or wearing a carnation on May 13 to honor your favorite lady. But don t forget to call her, too. Source: whsv.com 9

10 Are You Up To Date? What s Up? To update your personal information, please contact the PBA office Monday through Friday between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm at or stop by in person. Hollywood Officer Of The Month Congratulations to Detective Kristopher Doyle for being selected Hollywood PD s Officer of the Month for February 2012 Got a big event or announcement you want to share? Contact megan@ Prepaid Legal Services For Broward PBA Members Michael Braverman, P.A West State Road 84 Fort Lauderdale, FL /

11 Member Marketplace Open to Active PBA Members 20% discount for PBA members and their families NTTI Notice That Tee, Inc. Silk Screening Numbering Custom Work Personalized Gifts Fundraising Items Kevin Bolling, President Cell: % Off For PBA Members 2501 NW 34th Place, Suite 27 Pompano Beach, FL Office: Fax: To Advertise Here, Contact 11

12 Broward County Police Benevolent Association 2650 West State Road 84 Ft. Lauderdale, FL NONPROFIT ORG. U S POSTAGE PAID WEST PALM BEACH, FL PERMIT NO Broward County PBA