Posts tagged law-enforcement officers
US Forest Service to Terminate 3,400 Workers, Union Leader Says
February 14, 2025 // President Donald Trump directed agency heads Feb. 11 to “undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force” that focus on firing workers who “perform functions not mandated by statute,” including “diversity, equity and inclusion programs.”
Maine police unions push back over new oversight rules
October 12, 2024 // The Maine Criminal Justice Academy, which certifies the state's police and correctional officers, is considering new regulations that would discipline officers for behavior such as harassing civilians, falsifying written or verbal communications in official reports, possessing a controlled substance and engaging in conduct while on duty that would "significantly diminish the public’s confidence" in law enforcement. The new regulations, which have broad support from top law-enforcement officials, come three years after the state Legislature approved plans to expand the academy’s disciplinary powers and provide the public with more information about misconduct by police and corrections officers. However, in recent comments to the agency, the Maine Association of Police and Maine State Law Enforcement Association expressed "alarm and concern" about the proposed rules. They said the changes "shock the conscience of the already established, clear statutes, regulations and processes that are already custom and practice and very much effective."
Public Employee: My union did not represent my interests
May 2, 2023 // “A lot of parole officers are dissatisfied with being a member of PEF,” he said. PEF has not fought to gain access to typical law enforcement benefits for its parole officers. For example, parole officers in PEF do not have the same retirement plan as correction officers or other law enforcement officers, typically called a “twenty-and-out” or “twenty-five-and-out.” Meaning, a law enforcement officer can retire with a full government pension after working twenty or twenty-five years of public service and these plans do not have an age restriction. Meanwhile, parole officers’ retirement plans under PEF require more years of public service and have age restrictions. For example, parole officers either have to work thirty years and retire at age 55 (Tier 4) or work thirty years and retire at age 63 (Tier 6) in order to receive a full retirement pension.

HOW AMENDMENT 1 COULD GIVE ILLINOIS MORE ARSONISTS AS FIRE CHIEFS
May 27, 2022 // Analysis by the Illinois Policy Institute shows the language of the amendment would allow abuses of unionization and collective bargaining rights to nullify more than 350 existing state statutes. The amendment creates new threats for a wide variety of sectors, including policing, child care services and education. The impact of Amendment 1 would likely be felt by virtually all Illinoisans – including children.
Labor organizers and anti-union activists square off again on membership, dues issues
March 18, 2022 // “It codifies the process by which an employee may exercise this right and safeguards that person’s ability to exercise it at any time,” Vernuccio said. “It does this by having the public employees tell their employers directly that they wish to have money taken from their paycheck, instead of employers taking the union’s word for it.”
A bill targeting union membership in Florida is getting pushback…again
January 29, 2022 // “The bill requires an employee to sign a membership authorization form when they join a union," Plakon said as he presented the bill to the House Government Operations Subcommittee. "The form must include a statement that the employee understands that Florida is a right-to-work state, and union membership is not required as a condition of employment.”