After seven contract negotiation sessions, the PBA is deeply concerned with Sheriff Demings’ Management Team’s responses to our economic and non-economic proposals. The PBA Supervisor and Deputy Bargaining Team members feel that Sheriff Demings’ Management Team (hereafter referred to as OCSO) is taking advantage of the current economic environment in attempts to take away as many existing economic (and non-economic) benefits as possible. Poor counter proposals and protracted delay tactics are often OCSO’s response to our proposals.

For example these are some areas where the OCSO is trying to “take away” good benefits from you and your family!

Article 5 (Employee Representation and Association Activities): Despite requesting our help in certain areas (ie. recent CRB victory, working with OCSO on internal agency operations, etc), the OCSO wants to eliminate paying bargaining unit members who participate in any activity that helps you (i.e. negotiations, labor management, rallies, etc). However, the OCSO has no problem paying at least eight higher paid sworn managers and two highly paid attorneys on their team at the negotiation table! NOTE: The OCSO is also trying to limit the use of PBA pool time that YOU donate and is not even their donated time! To add insult to injury, the OCSO is even trying to prevent us from strengthening our response at your critical incident situations.

Article 12/Sections 2 - 4 (Personnel Records): The OCSO proposed to stop allowing the removal of reprimands and counseling forms from your division or HRD files. Furthermore, they only want to make a “Good Faith Effort” to notify you when someone makes a public records request on your personnel file.

Article 20 (Education Assistance): OCSO proposed that bargaining unit members can no longer go to school on duty unless they take comp, vacation, or flex their schedule with supervisor approval. They stated this will not affect sworn managers or civilians unless they choose to change the policy to include everyone.

Article 22 (Wellness & Training): PBA proposed the following:
Up to one (1) hour to do physical fitness on duty, manpower permitting and with supervisor approval
Up to four (4) hours a month to train (range, tactical, etc) with section commander approval.
Minimal economic incentives ($100 savings bond) and one point added to promotional exam for successful completion of four (4) fitness diagnostic system (FDS) tests in one (1) year.
Does not impact your insurance costs.
NOTE: The OCSO proposed a Wellness program that mandates physical fitness and blood testing to create a “baseline of your health.” Upon completion of said tests, the OCSO would consider minor reductions to employee insurance contributions.

Article 25 (Wages): Aside from passing on major insurance deductible and rate increases to you and your family, Sheriff Demings appears NOT interested in giving you any merit or COLA pay raises for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. The OCSO won’t even consider accepting our new pay plan (addresses pay compression problems) when the economy rebounds. In the past, even Sheriff Beary accepted our revised pay plan proposal.

Article 27 (Insurance): After much debate, OCSO stated they met their contractual obligation by showing the PBA their insurance rates/premiums. Unfortunately, your coverage percentages are going down anywhere from 3% to 15%, depending on the plan. Your deductibles will increase for emergency room visits from $500 per day for the first three days to 10% of the bill up to $2500. NOTE: OCSO states they will impose the insurance rates even upon objection of the PBA, despite not providing PBA their counter proposal to our initial PBA proposal provided to the OCSO in late April 2009.

Negative Policy Changes: Sheriff Demings took away the physical fitness, blood donation, FOP and PBA ribbons worn on your uniforms. The worst thing Sheriff Demings has done is refuse to allow an employee (in significant hardship) to receive more than 240 hours of donated time in one calendar year (so much for looking out for each other as a family). This is devastating for those who are suffering and need extra time to get back on their feet.
This is only a small fraction of the current benefits the OCSO is trying to take away from you and your family. As a candidate for Orange County Sheriff, Jerry Demings met with CFPBA and PBA leaders and members (as well as many OCSO employees) during his political screening. Demings responded positively, in writing and verbally, to a multitude of questions as they relate to enhancing and protecting your pay, benefits and work conditions. To date, we have not seen the majority of these positive campaign promises fulfilled by Sheriff Jerry Demings. They have not been followed through by the Sheriff or anyone representing him. In fact, during current negotiations Sheriff Demings (through his management bargaining team) has flatly said “NO” to almost every positive proposal we have presented while trying to take away other good benefits already in existence! Some candidates do not follow through with campaign promises and it sure tells you a lot about the person and our futu re with that person leading the agency.
It has been told to us that the new OCSO administration does not appreciate all the changes (enhancements) we made in the contract. NEWSFLASH! Many of these changes are the same enhancements we proposed to the prior administration and were hoping that a more fair administration would give consideration to them, not be offended by them! They should know, most of them are the same people who have heard our proposals before! We are surprised that a new OCSO administration would tear down what we already have instead of building it up for you and your families, especially with a so-called union friendly Sheriff and Under-Sheriff!
I encourage you to hang in there and support your bargaining teams. I can assure you that this is the best and most informative PBA Supervisor and Deputy Bargaining Teams I have ever worked with in my seven-plus years of collective bargaining. Remember, delay and divisive tactics are common management tools. Unfortunately, this appears to be the same management as before, the only difference is the name of the Sheriff, Under-Sheriff and some other key leaders. Most of us got into this profession because of the job security, benefits and the good feeling of helping others. We are fortunate to have jobs with benefits in these current economic conditions with or without public support. This is why it is extremely important to support the PBA’s efforts to enhance and/or protect your pay, benefits and work conditions.
Whether you’re a member or not, a PBA supporter or not, this is the time we all need to put down our petty differences and work together to secure our future. By their actions, it appears that Sheriff Demings and the Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA) would love to see all unions fail at the OCSO and throughout Florida. Then, the Florida Sheriffs can do whatever they want and YOU can’t do anything about it!
Remember, all of us in the supervisor and deputy ranks are the union. The PBA is only the association representing us. It is the PBA’s responsibility to provide you with services (attorneys, staff reps, etc.). It is our responsibility as members and non-members to support one another, protect our future, and stay involved.
Stay safe out there.

Editor’s Note: The PBA offered the OCSO an opportunity to have a new status quo contract that did not seek significant economic enhancements but only requested non-economic enhancements in your work conditions. Even that proposal, they refused. That speaks volumes about negotiating with this current OCSO administration. Therefore, when you hear the Sheriff and/or Under-Sheriff making public comments about being PBA supporters, think twice because you are the PBA and they are not supporting you and your families in negotiations!