Sisters and Brothers,
There is a lot going on within our department. There are many battles to fight and more to come. I have received your text messages, phone calls, and emails. I hear your concerns and feel your frustrations. Please understand that your concerns are not being ignored. They will be, and are being, addressed. Your Executive Board is prioritizing all the issues we must fight.
The main issue that we are dealing with right now is deployment and reassignment and how it was done. We will meet with the Chief and his staff to address your concerns on this matter.
As your President, I am asking you to please work with the department with deployment and reassignment so that we may pass the BSCC inspection. If we don’t pass the BSCC inspection, nothing else will matter because our department may not exist as it is now.
We are addressing your concerns with regard to schedules, shifts, days on and off, etc. I know there are some of you who were reassigned and were released back to the field and then reassigned back to the halls. This will be addressed.
Some of you in the halls are being asked to attend STC and you are not showing up for the classes. These classes are being offered on your days off (with overtime pay) and also alternative work schedules. It is imperative that you attend these STC classes to fulfill the BSCC mandate. Again, we must pass this inspection.
Sisters and Brothers, I believe this is an easy fix if we all work together. The Executive Board and I heard you loud and clear. WE will convey the message to the Chief and his staff that we are not robots. We are people with families who we take care of, who love and need us. We are willing to work with the department, but we need the department to hear our concerns.
Finally, Sisters and Brothers, please know that your President and Executive Board members will continue to be out and about on your behalf. When we come to your work locations, please continue to be respectful to us.
My last request: I have only been in office as President for two months. I can’t fix this stuff overnight. Please work with me and give me an opportunity to be President. We will make progress if we work together.
Thank you.