Members of the new Capitol police force have voted to join the Policeman’s Benevolent Labor Committee in an effort to improve their pay and benefits.
The PBLC beat out the Fraternal Order of Police, the nation’s biggest police union, by a one-vote margin on Friday, Aug. 25.
The force of about 40 law-enforcement officers was created by the Legislature in 2004 after unarmed security guard William Wozniak was shot to death at the Capitol.
Like the security guards at the Capitol, the new police investigators are employed by the secretary of state’s office. A third layer of security at the Capitol complex is provided by a private firm of armed guards.
The Illinois Labor Relations Board must certify the union as the bargaining agent, a process that takes about two weeks. Sean Smoot, director and chief counsel of the Policemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association of Illinois, says his group doesn’t expect any objections to be filed.
Smoot says representatives of the Capitol police approached his group once the six month probationary period concluded and were asked to file “interest cards” with the state labor-relations board expressing their desire to join a labor organization.
Once they receive certification, Smoot says, he will immediately demand to bargain and initiate contract negotiations with Secretary of State Jesse White’s office.
“We anticipate a fairly smooth collective-bargaining process and labor relations with Secretary White’s office,” Smoot says.
It’s expected that the Capitol police, many of whom are former cops and receive a beginning salary of $30,528, will ask for parity with similar agencies. For example, Capitol security guards receive a starting salary of $43,404; state conservation police, who are also represented by the PBLC, make an average of $53,000 to start.
Randy Nehrt, a spokesman for White, says he does not expect a new contract to affect the department’s goal to hire a total of 60 police investigators.
“We don’t foresee any change to that structure,” Nehrt says.
Contact R.L. Nave at rnave@illinoistimes.com
This article appears in Aug 31 – Sep 6, 2006.
