For the third time is as many years, the officers at the Essex County Jail are in the middle of a representation election known as a PERC election filed by the FOP.

 

The PBA maintains that as the premiere and elected representative for correction officers in the jail for more than 30 years of its history, they have fully provided Essex County Correction Officers with their due representation needs, but at the same time come under constant attack by their rival union, the FOP with exaggerated claims of PBA misconduct.

 

Until now both unions have brought their issues to the membership in what the PBA refers to as a "paper game", but the PBA has taken on a new initiative to bring these issues to a final and public forum in the form of a debate between both union presidents and in the presence of union members, state union officials and attorneys.

 

All this is, is a power struggle and these constant attacks by the FOP have nothing to do with real labor issues according to Joe Amato, president for PBA Local 382. A debate will expose the truth in labor relations as opposed to empty promises made by the FOP who works feverishly to weaken the PBA with false allegations of wrongdoing, but thus far has failed miserably according to Amato.

 

Below is a copy of the PBA's communication to the FOP regarding the issues at hand and the request for a controlled debate.

*****************************************************************       

 

 

 

July 5, 2007

 

Mr. Kenneth Leonard, President

FOP Lodge 71, ECCF

354 Doremus Ave.

Newark NJ 07105

 

Dear Kenny:  

 

First and foremost please allow me to assure you that I have the utmost respect for you and your FOP Board as fellow correction officers, but when it comes to representation issues and agendas, we will obviously never agree.

 

The FOP seems to have their opinion and agenda and we have ours as the PBA, but unfortunately for you, our agenda has been historically tested and proven as a legitimate agenda based on years of experience, legal opinions and accomplishments while the FOP's agenda is pretty much based on misinformation, exaggerations, false accusation's, and more fantasy than reality.

 

Before this PERC election begins to heat up, I need to assure you that any issues that I put out to the membership, in writing and in e-mails etc, which end up on our bulletin board and disseminated all over the jail and the Hall of Records can be easily proven as fact and the truth. Can you honestly say the same about your communications? That seems to be a hard lesson that obviously you and the other FOP board members haven't learned yet, so let me explain it to you.

 

 

I certainly hope that you have actual proof that what I say to the membership is "lies" instead of your normal exaggerated rumors and slanted opinions. Please think very hard before you continue to make verbal and written allegations against my personal integrity and character. Regardless of all this, I thought I'd let you and the other FOP board members know that I can easily answer to as many conspiracy theories that you can possibly fabricate and I'd like to do it in a public forum rather than play the paper game. Would you please give me that opportunity?

 

If what you say in your written bulletins is true about me being a "liar" and using "scare tactics" against my membership, I'm sure you should have no problem making these allegations in  front of me and the entire membership in a debate setting.

 

This debate should not only be in the presence of the entire membership but we need to do it in the presence of our State Union Officials, and our Attorneys. This debate should also be video taped so we can provide it to officers who cannot be present during the live debate. I'm talking about a controlled and genuine debate between the two presidents where we can finally address the real issues of labor negotiations and stop the ridiculous accusations being made by the FOP which has been going on in our department for the past 20 years. Attorneys and state union officials need to be there from both sides as to address any legal concerns and questions. We cant do this half way. Anything less than this would be unfair to the membership.  

 

Its time to stop all the drama and put the issues on the table once and for all in public so that maybe we can continue to move forward rather than continue to be stonewalled by these pointless and unnecessary PERC elections.

 

That's how confident I am that the PBA and I have nothing to hide and have done nothing wrong, illegal, dishonest, immoral or disingenuous in our obligations to the representation needs of this membership despite your constant allegations that we have.

 

Are you that confident in your actions and abilities to represent this membership? Are you that confident that you can prove what you say about me and the PBA or the "pba" as you so childishly refer to us in your letters?

 

I put out the true facts to educate and inform the membership, which may be long winded, but its done to make sure that the reader is completely informed with no room for second guessing or need for interpretation. Once again these communications are based on years of personal and union experience, case law, state labor law etc. On the other hand, you put out letters basically saying that everything I say is "Crap" as you call it in your letters.

 

I would also like to offer to pay for the location, video taping and refreshments for this gathering. All you need to do is show up and speak, but please be ready to back up the stories, conspiracy theories and false allegations that the FOP has become famous for.

 

These types of debates have occurred many times not only in individual departments and individual locals throughout NJ, but also between the two PBA and FOP state organizations.

The facts are the facts once the smoke clears. A debate brings the facts to the surface and stops all the theatrics. It's long overdue in Essex County Corrections that the membership be shown the real facts between the two unions in a public forum and not the lunch room rumors and grandstanding at line up and in the parking lot.

 

I would also appreciate your written response. Also please be advised that its not too late to call off the PERC election so that the PBA can continue with our July negotiation meetings, which you say according to your latest letter is "BULL". You say in your latest letter that "the county wont negotiate with us until the sheriffs sign", but once again you're showing that you don't have the slightest idea about how negotiations work. You say that this PERC election didn't interfere with our contract negotiations, but once gain please come to this debate ready to prove what you say and write.    

 

With all due respect, maybe you need to stop embarrassing yourself and let the PBA continue to do the job that it's done for more then 30 years in this department. Or on the other hand come to the debate and be ready to speak as freely in front of the membership and attorney's as you do in your letter's and be ready to back up what you say. I KNOW I WILL!!!!

 

 

 

Respectfully,

 

Joseph Amato. President

PBA Local 382