WWW.NJCOPSMAGAZINE.COM n DECEMBER 2014
COVER STORY
29
Salem’s
Lot
When the members of the new Local 400, Salem County Corrections,
saw all the benefits the PBA offered, they went through the roof.
n BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
n PHOTOS BY KYLE GRANTHAM
They had them shortly after hello, when George O’Brien
broke out the spreadsheets.
The men and women of Salem County Corrections had
inquired about joining the NJ State PBA a few months ago, so
the PBA came to the VFW Hall in Pilesgrove to present its ways
and means. This was a place the State PBA had never gone; no
Local currently existed in Salem County, so Special Projects
Coordinator John Hulse, who has been the organization’s lead
recruiter since his days as a State Delegate for Byram, put some
extra bells and whistles on the powerhouse presentation he
makes to perspective members.
President Pat Colligan and Executive Vice-President Marc
Kovar began the pitch. Kevin Lyons chimed in with the details
on Legal Protection, health benefits and more. They went
through the cards, the shields and the death benefits. Members
of the State Corrections Committee also participated.
But when George O’Brien pulled out his spreadsheets that all
members know as the bible for collective bargaining, well, that
sealed the deal on Salem County Corrections becoming NJ State
PBA Local 400.
“We’re looking forward to sharing what we do
and seeing what more can be done. “After the
presentation, the confidence of our members
was through the roof, and they are very excited
about everything the PBA has to offer.”
MICHAEL SHANNON
“When we met the gentleman who does nothing but contract negotiations, and he had the spreadsheets with numbers
upon numbers crunched from everywhere in the state, it was
unbelievable,” explained Local 400 President Bohdan Sobkiw.
“The attention to detail the PBA brought to us is more valuable
than anything I have ever seen. It’s a huge plus for the PBA. I
think our members saw it. I know I saw it.”
Since then, and since being introduced as a new Local at the
Nov. 12 State PBA Meeting, the flow of information to Salem
County has been so expeditious and so prolific that State Delegate/Vice-President Michael Shannon can barely get it out to