Today Brother Don Hicks and I met with the Governor to discuss a few issues. This was our initial meeting with Governor Lombardo and I feel that the meeting went relatively well. The one thing he would not discuss with us was PERS. We put it on the agenda, but there was no wiggle room to discuss anything in regard to the paying of PERS by the state or the increase that is upcoming. We did try and we were shutdown. The topic of collective bargaining and the current obstinate approach by the LRU, was discussed. We explained that the state was unwilling to offer anything in return for some of the changes they wished to make. While stand offish at first, I believe he was willing to discuss this with the LRU and hopefully we start to see some movement toward better negotiations, starting next week.
We discussed lethal force being installed at the prisons in high security units and posts capable of securing said weapons. I believe this is where we had a very strong understanding of the need for the full tools to do the job and protect our members. The Governor seemed very receptive to the idea that we have the ability to use lethal force when it is absolutely necessary. This will be an ongoing process and will likely be addressed in negotiations as well.
Lastly, we discussed the need for paid union representatives at each facility. This is to be in line with other unions who have union reps available to address issues that arise daily with the administration. Our hope is to improve responsiveness and communications with management in order to ensure the needs of our members are met in real time. The idea that we have one per facility was discussed and this seems like a decent starting point.
Our read on the meeting is that while stern and blunt at the beginning of the meeting, Governor Lombardo warmed to the conversation and was respectful to the issues we raised. He even made it a point to say that he appreciated my passion. This comes naturally, because I truly care about all of you and your well being. I would like to thank our executive board, our extended team of dedicated trustees and stewards, and all of the members of FOP. You all truly inspire me to work tirelessly to better the working conditions for all.
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