January 2022 Contract Team Update
Contract Negotiations
The Contract Negotiation Team has been meeting for the past few months compiling data, speaking with our members, going over your survey responses on what you would like to see in the contract and reaching out to other deputies that work for our comparable counties clarifying details of their respective collective bargaining agreements. We have done an extensive amount of preparation going into these negotiations, more so than the last negotiations in 2017. We have started drafting proposals and are having our attorney review them. The team will start meeting with the County in February and I wanted to go over the process with you.
Once the first written proposal is made by either us or the County, the 150 days of negotiations start. If no agreement has been made after the 150 days, either party can request a 30-day cooling off period. Fifteen days of mediation will occur with a mediator selected by the state. This doesn’t mean we will meet every day for 15 days; it just means we will have a 15-day window to come to an agreement. After the 15 days of mediation either party can declare an impasse and another 30-day cooling off period will occur. The arbitration process would then begin. Hopefully, we won’t have to go to mediation or arbitration, but that depends on if the county is willing to play ball.
The team will be as transparent as possible. After every contract negotiation meeting with the county, we will be updating the website with what proposals were discussed. I’m sure everyone wants to know how long negotiations will take. The honest answer is we don’t know. This process could take up to a year if we go to arbitration. In 2017, the contract was ratified 11 months after negotiations officially began. As long as we don’t go to arbitration the membership will get to vote on ratifying the entire contract. Moving forward, please don’t get your information from MCSO Command, including lieutenants. If you have any questions, please reach out to me or any other contract team member.
MCIJ C Shift Steward
Sgt. Brad Harrington