NJ Cops May18 | Page 50

Welcome new PBA Locals East Brunswick superior offi cers move to the PBA for the total package ■ BY BRITTANY KRUGEL When assessing why East Brunswick superior officers decided to change teams and opt for new union represen- tation, the decision came down to one significant conclusion: “The PBA is a superior product,” East Brunswick Local 145A president Robert Zielinski expressed unequivocally. Two years ago, when Zielinski and his members were ready for a transition, they knew that the PBA was the right place to call home. The SOA Local was once a part of the PBA in the 1980s, but then decided to make the move from the FOP to the PBA in search of more formidable representation and services. Local members recently recognized that coming back to the PBA would offer the strongest collective bargaining resourc- es, as well as a stronger legal protection plan, more detailed pension benefits counseling and very substantive clinical services support. In addition to more formidable col- lective bargaining representation, Zie- linski and his 22 members understood other numerous benefits the PBA pro- vides. “The PBA seems to be on the forefront of getting the information out to mem- bers and fighting for members down in Trenton,” Zielinski stated. He also noted how Local 145A is in- spired by the way the PBA educates members about the next steps when they are ready to hang up their uni- forms. “They have a lot of resources avail- able, especially coming into retire- ment,” Zielinski added. “They have pension and retirement seminars and all of the information that is necessary when it comes time to make that deci- sion.” On a personal note, what attracted Zielinski and his members to the PBA was the union’s response in 2016 in Dal- las when five brothers and sisters were killed in the line of duty. “We saw how the PBA reached out to the brothers and sisters in Dallas,” Ziel- 50 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ MAY 2018 Members of East Brunswick Local 145A, a group of superior offi cers who joined the State PBA in April. inski recalled. “That was very impactful for us from Jersey and showing their support from across the nation was amazing.” At the April 9 State PBA meeting, Lo- cal 145A established its charter after a unanimous vote by its members. “It was an easy transition once we got the ball rolling, and the PBA was there every step of the way,” Zielinski recount- ed. “For us, it’s the total package.”  PBA offers experienced attention for Manchester supervisors ■ BY BRITTANY KRUGEL One year ago, when Anthony Iliadis, the president of Manchester Local 246 and the members of his local decided to create their own SOA Local, they had the goal of giving more focused atten- tion to the needs of superior officers. “We wanted to create our own sub- section for collective bargaining,” Ili- adis explained. The approximately 20 superior offi- cers who formed Local 246A saw what the PBA could do for them, and real- ized moving from the FOP to the PBA provided much stronger representa- tion. “I think the positive is that they have the focus for our specific group and they’re able to compare themselves apples to apples, meaning sergeants to sergeants,” Iliadis added. Not only does forming a new Local encourage the former leaders of 246 to take on a larger role professionally, but the change also allows both Local 246 and 246A to stay competitive with oth- er departments. A union devoted to su- perior officers offers a benefit that can be critical in retaining members who have been promoted and who know what the PBA did for them when they were working patrol or as detectives. However, while these two locals may be split, Iliadis reminds that it is im- portant to note how both locals will re- ceive equal support from the PBA. “We still get the same amount of sup- port from the state,” Iliadis confirmed. The PBA will provide Local 246A with experienced collective bargaining rep- resentation, information on pension planning and superior legislative rep- resentation in Trenton because of its long history working with superior of- ficers associations. And Iliadis indicat- ed how that made a big impact on the decision to form Local 246A. 