What is the problem with allowing the police to unionize? It's not like the law will allow them to strike, so let them unionize already. <BR><BR><B><I>Tom Ivie <the_ivies3@yahoo.com></I></B> wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid"> <DIV class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=4><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 15pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Council won’t hear police union request </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><BR clear=all><BR clear=all></SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=1><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">By Omie Drawhorn Daily News staff writer </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><BR clear=all></SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=1><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Published: </SPAN></FONT><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:sm!
arttags"
/><st1:date Year="2006" Day="25" Month="4"><FONT face=Arial size=1><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">04-25-2006</SPAN></FONT></st1:date><FONT face=Arial size=1><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><BR clear=all><BR clear=all></SPAN></FONT><st1:City><st1:place><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Moscow</SPAN></FONT></st1:place></st1:City><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> police want a union. That’s nothing new. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">City officials don’t want them to have it. That also is nothing new. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">After numerous attempts the police department is appealing once again to the City Council to recognize its union. High turnover, the pay for performance plan, insurance benefits and communication with the city are ! the officers’ main concerns. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Police thought this week they were close to finally realizing their goal, but members of the Moscow Administrative Committee think they can address officers’ concerns without a union. The committee voted 2-1 Monday not to forward to the full council a formal request that the city recognize the Moscow Police Protective Association as a union. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE!
: 10.5pt;
FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Members of the Moscow Police Department unanimously support forming a police union, said Lieutenant Dave Lehmitz. But Administrative Committee members </SPAN></FONT><st1:PersonName><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Linda Pall</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> and John Weber on Monday rejected the request. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Councilman Aaron Ament voted in favor of the union. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">“We’re a bunch of cops,” said Cpl. Art Lindquist of the Moscow Police Department. “We’re doing our best to negotiate, but this is out of our league.” <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV
class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">A union would provide the department with a permanent professional voice and a way to address grievances. “We want to be team players, we want this to work and we’re interested in seein! g what can be created,” Lindquist said. “But we’re looking for a permanent fix, we’re looking to the future.” <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Lindquist said there are no guarantees how future councils would respond, no matter how the present council might handle business. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Mayor Nancy Chaney has had multiple conversations with the police department over the past few months and talked wi!
th police
departments in </SPAN></FONT><st1:State><st1:place><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Washington</SPAN></FONT></st1:place></st1:State><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> and </SPAN></FONT><st1:State><st1:place><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Idaho</SPAN></FONT></st1:place></st1:State><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> looking for solutions. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Chaney joined the Administrative Committee on Monday to address compensation, benefits and contractual agreements as about 10 police officers observed from the audience. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-!
FAMILY:
Arial">Chaney proposed a return to the step and grade pay scale for officers with a 3.5 percent pay raise after each step and an increase in dependents’ medical benefits. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial; FONT-SIZ: 10.5pt">She also suggested getting rid of the department’s at-will employment policy in which employees can be fired at any time for any reason. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Ament was not satisfied. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">“That’s not enough,” he said. “The police have asked for a union, that’s what we’re dealing with. Let’s have an up or down vote on whether or not we want a union.”
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Weber disagreed. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 1px; FONT-FAMILY: Arial; 5pt: ">“What we have is working quite well,” he said. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Pall called for finding common ground amid the structure already in place. “We’re hoping to accommodate all you want without collective bargaining,” she said. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Ament said the existing system cannot address the problems. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal
style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">“If it could we wouldn’t be here right now,” he said. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">City! Attorney Randy Fife said council members will have to decide how much power they are willing to give up if they allow a police union. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">“I don’t love power so much that I couldn’t deal with a union to set their pay,” Ament said. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Chaney said she feared other city employees might follow suit and form their own unions, which would take the p!
ower out
of the hands of the City Council — which in turn would take power away from the taxpayers. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Lindquist asked if professional representation was in the cards. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">“The closer you get to professional representation, the closer you get to collective bargaining and a union,” City Supervisor </SPAN></FONT><st1:PersonName><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Gary Riedner</SPAN></FONT></st1:PersonName><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> said. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY:
Arial">Ament refused to listen to suggestions if unionizing wasn’t part of the picture. “I’m not hearing the word ‘union,’ ” he said. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <DIV class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 11.25pt"><B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Omie Drawhorn</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> can be reached at (208) 882-5561, ext. 234, or by e-mail at odrawhorn@dnews.com. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></DIV> <div> <HR SIZE=1> Talk is cheap. Use Yahoo! Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls. <A href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/mail_us/taglines/postman7/*http://us.rd.yahoo.com/evt=39666/*http://beta.messenger.yahoo.com">Great rates starting at 1¢/min._____________________________________________________<BR>List services made available by First Step Internet, <BR>serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994. <BR>http://www.fsr.net
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