TPOAM

By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor

In September 2008, negotiators for the City of Belleville and POAM on behalf of the Belleville Police Officers Association reached a tentative agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement to replace the prior contract which had expired. Details of the tentative agreement were set forth in a one-page document dated September 24, 2008. Among the changes were a series of wage increases, including a $300 signing bonus, retroactive pay, a health care re-opener in 2009, and the addition of Good Friday as a holiday for unit members. The written agreement did not specify that there would be any change with respect to promotions for bargaining unit members.

By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor

For approximately 30 years in Garden City, the position of deputy chief, lieutenant, special investigations, and lieutenants supervising all support and professional services included entitlement to a take home vehicle, including responsible personal use of the vehicles. Past collective bargaining agreements, including the current one, were renegotiated without any provision regarding take home vehicles referenced, however, the entitlement to take home vehicles had been clearly defined both orally and in writing in Department General Orders, and a Take Home User Agreement, thus establishing a well recognized past practice.

By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor

For a number of years, the City of Saginaw has allowed its employees to use its e-mail system to send correspondences that are not directly work related. The City also allowed the unions representing its employees, including the Saginaw Police Officers Association (SPOA) to use the system to send e-mails to their members.

Congress Passes Health Care Reform and Legislation to Create Jobs
By Dennis McGrann, POAM Lobbyist, Washington, D.C.

On March 26, the U.S. Congress left town after passing historic health care legislation, and will return after a two-week recess to a hefty “to do” list. For the past several months, Congress has been intensely focused on health care to the exclusion of almost all other issues — except legislation to create jobs. Both the House and Senate will now be able to focus on other areas. Upon their return, Congressional Leadership will start drafting their annual budget resolution, which usually is considered before the spring recess but was pushed back because of health care. Assembling a budget that can gain a majority will be extremely difficult, with heightened public concern over government spending and growing budget deficits. If Congressional Leaders can’t reach agreement on a budget, they’ll likely end up separately adopting a top-line discretionary spending level for the year so the annual appropriations process can proceed.

By Ed Jacques, LEJ Editor

Over 40 years of experience in the police and labor profession were sorely missed by POAM and hundreds of its members when Business Agent Tom Griffin retired in April, 2010. Griffin was the complete package, serving as a Dearborn police officer from 1968 to 1998. Tom served his membership as their local secretary for four years, vice-president for 12 years and four years as president. Griffin was named to the POAM Executive Board and began serving local bargaining groups in 1998. Tom became a full-time Business Agent at POAM one day after his retirement from the Dearborn Police Department. At the time of his retirement, Griffin represented 30 units from a wide range of communities in lower Michigan.

On April 28, 2010, the Center for State and Local Government Excellence (SLGE) and the National Institute on
Retirement Security (NIRS) released their report:  Out of Balance? Comparing Public and Private Sector
Compensation Over 20 Years.  The report was coauthored by two economists from the University of Wisconsin-
Milwaukee, Keith Bender and John Heywood.  Based on their analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, the authors conclude that public-sector  employees earn less than private-sector employees when
earnings are adjusted for their level of education, training, experience and other known determinants of earnings.

Study Finds Public-Sector Workers Earn Less than Comparable Private-Sector Workers