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7/1/2010 - Indian River County Deputies Bargaining Unit (E-Bulletin, July 2010)
By Ron Bair, IRSO Rep
On Monday, June 28, 2010, the membership continued to bargain with the Sheriff’s Office. The current contract is still in effect through September 30, but we have been negotiating toward a new contract to start October 1, 2010. Lead Negotiator Steve Valis expressed his dissatisfaction of the negotiations and the lack of movement with several issues on the Sheriff‘s Office behalf. Over the last three years the membership has continued to request some type of a step plan be implemented. The Deputies have remain financially frozen for almost every one of the last eight years.
The C.F.P.B.A. membership at the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office has continued to express the need to implement a pay step plan as a top priority. The members continued to fall farther behind each year as they do not receive a pay increase, no cost of living increase, and no step increase. The only relief felt in several years has been a small bonus check at the end of the fiscal year.
Most of the union members understand the economical environment, but also understand we were some of the lowest paid law enforcement officers in the Treasure Coast region before the economic down turn. The deputies of Indian River County have continued to fall farther behind to the point of financial disaster. The cost of running a household continues to increase and we are not seeing any relief on top of having our work schedules changed. We all know times are tough, but Indian River County is a county who has fronted money to the State of Florida to repave State Road 60 and has made economical commitments to support Piper Aircraft to the tune of over $30 million dollars. Our local news paper The Press-Journal has recently boasted, Indian River County has been rated among the top ten wealthiest counties in the United States. We seem to have money to pump sand onto our beaches, but can’t pay our law enforcement officers who protect our citizens and their property.
The deputies bargaining unit and Sheriff’s Office plan to return to the table sometime this month. The two sides did tentatively agree on a few more articles in the last negotiation, but still have a long way to go before a contract could be presented to the membership.
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