Union United
That’s Union County Corrections, which followed in the footsteps of
the noble Ken Burkert to become a Local that has achieved greatness
n BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
When State President Pat Colligan gathered
the PBA leadership to discuss candidates for 2015
r
Valo
Local of the Year Award, he quickly realized there
AWARDS
were so many worthy recipients.
“So many Locals do great things that we could
have 10 of those awards each year,” Colligan continued. “That would be a great way to do it, like
we give out gold, silver and bronze medals of valor. It’s so hard to pick
one.”
Ultimately, there were several reasons that Union County Corrections Local 199 emerged as the 2015 Local of the Year.
The all-in bravery to stand up to Union County Freeholders trying
to regionalize corrections operations and close the jail distinguished
Local 199 as the type of cohesive unit needed to survive in today’s governmental landscape.
And the process Local 199 generated to convince the county that
closing the jail would be more costly than keeping it open and less
effective for law enforcement created a blueprint for ending such
threats.
Union County Corrections longtime activism in PBA-driven actions
and charitable endeavors also could have been additional evidence to
distinguish the Local this year.
But at the end of the Valor Awards, State Delegate Joe Krech confirmed the asset that set Local 199 apart.
“Past State Delegate Kenneth Burkert,” Krech pledged. “It’s all
Kenny’s work. We’re all just following in Kenny’s footsteps.”
Perhaps the only regret during the 2015 Valor Awards celebration
was that Burkert, who retired this past June, could not be there to be
honored with the Local and reap an applause so richly deserved. At
the time, he was two days removed from hip replacement surgery, a
residual of giving his body. Along with his heart, to corrections, Local
199 and the PBA for 21 years, the past 12 as State D [Y