By John Burpo, CLEAT Executive Director
If you are thinking that like past sessions the CLEAT lobby team will simply walk in and put more notches on our incredible scoreboard of labor legislative victories, think again!
CLEAT’s lobbyist Charley Wilkison advises that the word floating around the Capitol is that with the dramatic change in the Legislature, it is now time to go after public sector pension benefits and law enforcement civil service and collective bargaining rights. We are also hearing from our members in the field that management officials are falling all over themselves with excitement over having an opportunity to gut the few gains we have made over the past 35 years.
If you have been following the world outside of Texas, then you know that there are scary trends taking place: the private sector labor movement has effectively collapsed and is no longer relevant to the national conversation on employee benefits and rights – that is why private sector union membership is now down around 5% of the national workforce. Private sector employee health care benefits are being stripped or eliminated; pension benefits are going the way of the dinosaur and being replaced by 410(k)’s.
For the first time ever, public officials are taking aim at public employee benefits and rights – and law enforcement officers are included in this assault! The news is full of sad stories from across the nation about police pay and benefit give backs, stripped health care and pension plans, and most incredibly, layoffs. I have been doing this work going back many years and this is the first time ever I have seen layoffs of public essential services.
The rhetoric attacking law enforcement benefits and rights has little basis in fact. This attack has more to do with public officials taking monetary advantage of the recent recession (now passed) so they can plead poverty. It has to do with these same public officials seeing an opportunity to challenge public sector unions that, hypocritically, they have called on for support for so long. And sadly, it has to do with the citizens we serve who are having a bad case of “benefit envy;” that is, in their jobs – if they even have a job in these tough times, they have lower pay, high premium-high deductible health insurance plans, no pension plan and instead a meager 401(k).
Sound like a tough situation? You bet, it really is grim. But it is not a hopeless – we have many options to deal with elected officials and with public perceptions. So here go a number of suggestions for how we go about facing this crisis; and the use of the word “we” includes every member reading this article. CLEAT can take on this fight only with the help of every local leader and member!
First, State Representatives and Senators need to contacted by CLEAT local leaders and members and reminded that you are the first line defense in every Texas community. Our elected officials must be reminded that next to our military, law enforcement officers are the most essential service in this country. To even talk about any kind of benefit reduction or elimination of a right is a betrayal to the officers who put their lives on the line for citizens every day.
Local leaders and members are encouraged to pay attention to CLEAT’s website and check on legislation that adversely affects our members. And you should contact your legislators by e-mail, phone call, or letter to let them know about your discontent. This is not the year to sit on the sidelines – get involved and be a part of helping your fellow officers maintain the tremendous workplace benefits and rights that we have so hard to achieve over the years.
Second, keep improving your local political action program. Endorse – and work for, those local officials who support the maintenance/improvement of your rights and benefits; and oppose those who do not. In other words, reward your friends and punish your enemies. In keeping with this principle, build up your association political action committee, because money is the mother’s milk of politics – your political friends will appreciate your endorsement; they will be wildly enthusiastic about your financial contribution!
Lastly, remember that the citizens in your community are the ones whom you must ultimately convince that pay and benefit reductions, layoffs, and elimination of workplace rights are not in the best interest of the community. Remind them that public safety officers – police, deputies, detention, and EMS, are the workers who make the difference between a safe community and chaos. The best way to talk to your citizens is through public service ads, billboards, direct mail, and coalitions/meetings with key community groups and leaders. The CLEAT Public Affairs Division can assist our local leadership with ideas to effectively communicate to citizens about the importance of public safety and the necessity for the maintenance or improvement of pay, benefits and working conditions.
To contact John Burpo about this article: john.burpo@cleat.org
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