A vote FOR
Question B supports the County law, passed unanimously by the County Council,
which eliminates “effects bargaining” that gave Police Union leaders the power
to demand that the Police Chief bargain everything about running the Montgomery
County Police Department -- inhibiting innovation, accountability and
efficiency.
The
action by the Montgomery Republican Central Committee followed a September 19
decision by the Montgomery County Democratic Party Precinct Officials and the
Central Committee, who voted by an overwhelming 109-14 margin to urge a vote
"FOR Question B" in the November election.
These
endorsements will be included on both parties’ sample ballots sent to all
registered Democrats and Republicans and distributed at the polls on Election
Day.
“The
message couldn’t be any clearer,” said Patrick Lacefield, Director of the
Montgomery County Office of Public Information. “Who do we want to run our
Montgomery County Police Department? The Police Chief or Union Leaders?
Democrats and Republicans may disagree on many issues, but the fact that both
political parties overwhelmingly are urging a vote ‘FOR Question B’ says a lot.
Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative or somewhere in the middle,
voting FOR Question B just makes sense.”
“Effects
bargaining” was included in the police labor relations law enacted in 1982.
Since that time Police Union leaders have used that right to stall department
innovations and diminish accountability and efficiency. No other Police Union
in the State of Maryland has effects bargaining. No other County employees
union has it in their contract.
Under
effects bargaining, Police Chief Tom Manger has to bargain anyissue
about running his department if Police Union leaders demand it. That has
included the distribution of critical police equipment, the redeployment of
officers to crime hot spots, and even the revised policy on “Use of Force” –
important to protecting the public and officers alike– which was sent to the
Police Union for their “approval” on June 27, 2008 – over four years ago.
In all, 15
Police Department policies are awaiting Unionleaders' “approval” – 12 of them
for over two years. Under effects bargaining, police officers still don’t have
to“sign” their electronic time cards. The Police Chief could not even require
that police officers have County email accounts – or check their email. It took
months to negotiate that.
The repeal
of effects bargaining does not affect the fully supported and continued
right of the Police Union to bargain wages, hours, working conditions,
benefits, and safety issues. It would also not affect officers’ schedules and
leave, the details of which are already spelled out in collective bargaining
agreements agreed to by the Police Department and the Union.
A
“FOR” vote on Question B is a vote that lets the Police Chief run the
department in the most efficient and productive way to protect the lives and
property of County residents -- and still protects the full range of collective
bargaining rights enjoyed by all other police unions across the State and all
other County unions.
For more details about Question B, go to www.montgomerycountymd.gov/QuestionB.
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