16
LABOR RELATIONS
NEW JERSEY COPS ■ MARCH 2014
Final thoughts about Collective Bargaining Seminar
The annual Collective
Bargaining
Seminar
ended just as the February
issue of NJ COPS was
going to press, so we didn’t have a chance to hear
from many of the attendees about some of the
learning events this year.
Since then, and even
through the PBA MiniConvention the first week of March,
members have been relating some of
their most impacting takeaways.
Before sharing what I have been hearing, let me thank all those who took time
to present very insightful and helpful
information at this year’s seminar:
We heard great feedback about Paul
Kleinbaum’s dissection of the 2-percent
cap, and I think a lot of members were
enlightened by James Mets’ thoughts on
Interest Arbitration.
We all know the value of Vince Foti’s
tips on doing the financial analysis to prepare for contract negotiations, as well as
Bob Fagella’s insights on grievance arbitration and unfair labor practices.
David Beckett helped so many gain a
better understanding of the health insurance situation and Christopher Gray did
likewise with pensions and benefits. I
thought Frank Crivelli made some great
comments about how to prepare for contract negotiations, and Daniel Geddes’
discussion of Workman’s Comp shed new
light on this topic.
And we can never say enough about
what Stuart Alterman brings to the seminar.
As for how they all helped the attendees, leave it to the attendees to put it in
their own words:
George
O’Brien
Artie Cronk, State Delegate, Manchester
Local 246
I think it was great for a lot of our
younger members. They tend to think the
grass is greener and wonder where we get
the numbers. But we had six from our
Local come to this year’s Collective Bargaining Seminar, and it was very beneficial to get younger members, who are
inexperienced with the contract,
involved.
Getting them that exposure helps get
more views of things that maybe we
missed that maybe they picked up. So we
will be able to use everything we heard up
and down the board, and instead of one
or two of us doing the work on the contract, we have a group that can figure it
out together.
One last thought I picked up: If you go
to arbitration, you’re going to get smoked.
Negotiate the best you can and avoid anything with PERC.
everything. We came back, and our executive board went through everything we
needed to pass on to the members.
I also think this is something you need
to go to every year so you have the most
current information.
Gene Dello, State Delegate, Asbury Park
Local 6
Mark Johns, State Delegate, Belleville
Local 28
We send four or five from our Local
every year. Every year, you find something
new because of the way the laws change,
so it keeps you up to date with what goes
on.
You feel enlightened, but it’s a sense of
disappointment because of what the state
and the municipalities are taking from the
members with the 2-percent cap and officers paying into health benefits. Especially when we learned that the average
lifespan after retirement is 13 years.
So in today’s climate, and especially
because of the ones who took this job and
turned down other jobs because of the
benefits, it’s essential that all delegates
and members should attend.
Chris Smith, President, State Law
Enforcement Unit
We represent the state park police,
campus police, the department of weights
and measures, treasury agents, conservation officers and the Palisades Interstate
Parkway police, so I think the biggest
thing our guys that attended found was
hearing from speakers who are professional negotiators for labor. They gave
very detailed insight into things to watch
for when negotiating the contracts, particularly the changes in legislation or the
pending changes in legislation.
More specifically, we found Stuart
Alterman’s presentation about police officers’ rights to be very interesting. David
Beckett and Kevin Lyons did a great job
explaining all the complexities that have
come from the changes with medical
benefits, and I think we all have a better
understanding because of the general tips
Paul Kleinbaum gave about the 2-percent
cap and how to work around what’s going
on with it.
We sent eight guys, and they are each
more knowledgeable about one or two
contractual provisions. I think that’s
something to really take advantage of by
sending as many members as you can.
There’s so much to know these days that
no one pe