COLLECTIVE BARGAINING REPORT
Meeting the needs of the
millennial workforce
I recently had the opportunity to attend a pan-
el discussion at Rutgers University hosted by its
chapter of the NJ Labor and Employment Rela-
tions Association. The discussion was titled “Mil-
lennials in a Unionized Workforce,” and it began
with a video that garnered a lot of laughs from
the audience. Take two minutes now to go to You-
Tube and search “A Millennial Job Interview.” I’ll
MICHAEL wait…
FREEMAN
One of the panelists described it as an unfair
characterization of a generation that is smarter,
more informed and better prepared for the technology-based
world in which we now live. Another panelist described the in-
terview overall as hyperbole but acknowledged that individual
elements of each statement made by the young candidate are
common in today’s workplace. The third panelist, an accom-
plished millennial union member, admitted that the needs of
millennials are different from generations of workers in the
past. All panelists concluded that for better or for worse, all new
employees will be millennials, and communication is needed
for any organization to adjust and survive.
New employees in the past, particularly police officers, were
not all that concerned with pensions and health benefits. They
were predominantly young, single, healthy men and women
that were only focused with getting “on the job.” It wasn’t until
we began to think about getting married, buying a house and
raising a family that we started listening to the old guys about
what was important for long-term security. Health care contri-
butions didn’t exist. There were relatively few steps to top-pay,
and longevity payments made a career commitment to one
police department worthwhile. Obviously, that all changed be-
tween 2010 and today.
Many members of my generation still enjoy longevity pay,
while the next generation and subsequent hires will never re-
ceive the same “bump” from base salary. Reaching top salary
was previously done after five years; currently the average is
12.3 years, and retirement of a Tier 3 employee will occur af-
ter 30 years instead of the traditional 25 years. How did all of
this happen? The pension changes were forced upon us by the
Christie regime, but the rest of the changes were a result of ne-
gotiations that ultimately pushed many Locals into a position
called “selling the unborn.” In its worst form, that results in
completely different salary guides that will ultimately lead to
this scenario:
Two patrol officers are working as partners in the same
car in 2032. Officer Jones was hired in December 2017, and
Officer Smith was hired in January 2018. Based on the
guide that covers all employees hired after Jan. 1, 2018, sal-
ary increases were capped for 15 years at the top 2018 rate.
18
NEW JERSEY COPS
■ DECEMBER 2018
Smith looks at his paystub and is reminded that his part-
ner is covered by the previous guide that was not capped,
so Jones’ salary is more than $25,000 higher than his. Each
paycheck is $1,000 less for the exact same work, based on a
date of hire separated by as little as 30 days. Prior to Broth-
er Smith getting the job, his union failed to protect the in-
terests of those who were not yet hired. The Local sold their
unborn.
This scenario is not simply a figment of my imagination. I
have seen several negotiated agreements that will undoubtedly
produce this result, without a successor agreement that changes
the guide. Getting an employer to make such a concession will
certainly cost the Local in some other area. As Brother Smith
moves along in his career, he will be joined by several others
who will also feel the disparity. After a while, they will comprise
the majority of the Local and will be in a position to offer those
concessions. Speaking as an “old guy” now, we will be lucky if
the millennials led by President Smith don’t “sell the dying” as a
concession for getting their salaries back to a comparable level.
I have an old photo hanging in my office of my children sit-
ting at the entrance to the Magic Kingdom. The expressions on
their faces are completely different. My oldest son is smiling, my
daughter appears confused and my youngest son looks angry.
I hung that picture as a reminder that no matter what you do
when making decisions for a group, you can’t possibly please
everybody, but you must try to use the experience of others in
the same situation and apply that knowledge to making your
decisions.
The advice that I can offer to any Local entering negotia-
tions is to have a broad cross-section of members as an advi-
sory group for the negotiations committee. It is difficult to have
more than three or four voices at the negotiating table, so there
should be a lead negotiator, or attorney, who does most of the
talking. The interests of all members can never be satisfied, but
they must all be served fairly, now and in the future. A skilled
negotiator across the table may be looking for savings that won’t
be realized by the municipality for 10 or 15 years and will offer
something slightly above cost-neutral for the duration of the
contract, which the Local feels is a win for their side. That is how
the unborn get sold.
This is the point where I make a shameless plug for the 2019
PBA Collective Bargaining Seminar that will be held at Harrah’s
Resort in Atlantic City, Feb. 5-7. We will have presentations and
open discussion on this topic and all aspects of collective bar-
gaining and PBA representation. Please return applications by
Jan. 11 to take advantage of special pricing. Every Local exec-
utive board can benefit from attending, but all members are
welcome, including millennials, since it’s now a Bring Your Own
Device event! #NoLiveStreaming