Sep 2, 2010
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These Arizona probation officers, members of AZCOPS, CWA Local 7077, were among 70 CWA members attending the union's National Coalition of Public Safety Officers conference in San Diego last weekend. |
Members of CWA's growing public safety sector left their annual conference last weekend "pumped and excited," eager to organize, lobby and pass a federal law guaranteeing collective bargaining rights for public safety officers.
CWA President Larry Cohen fired up the 70 participants, which included emergency dispatchers, police officers, sheriff deputies, firefighters, probation and correctional officers, NCPSO-CWA President Lu Ebratt said. There are now more than 16,000 public safety officers who are members of CWA.
Cohen said the meeting was at a critical moment for winning public safety bargaining rights in the U.S. "A month ago and in December 2009, public safety bargaining rights were stripped by the Senate from legislation that otherwise was adopted. Currently, this is the top legislative priority for CWA and the entire labor movement. We need every member here to mobilize their members to contact their Senators, and ask that this legislation be debated by the Senate. Especially important: ask Republican senators why they are blocking discussion and debate," Cohen said.
"Larry was as charged and enthusiastic about public safety as we've ever heard him, and his enthusiasm was contagious. We got lots of comments about it afterwards," Ebratt said.
Participants heard from Brooks Sunkett, vice president of the Public, Healthcare and Education Workers Sector, along with District 9 Vice President Jim Weitkamp, District 7 Vice President Mary Taylor and others.
Members came from NCPS0-CWA units in states including Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, Virginia and Maryland. Ebratt said the opportunity to network and learn from each other was especially important, as was a day of union training and discussions about how and where to launch organizing drives.
A key topic was winning a long-sought federal law ensuring collective bargaining rights for state and local public safety officers; that measure still awaits congressional action. "We feel very good about CWA's support for the bill and we think with the national behind us that we can and will get it done," Ebratt said.
