COURT SECURITY NEWS for the United States Court Security Officers Union Vol 4 USCSO Website: www.uscso.org Email:[email protected] CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS COMPLETE AUGUST 2014 Phone (845) 486-4260 35 Market St, Suite # 30 Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 Special points of interest: CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS ORGANIZING CSOs & SSOs Treated as Second Class Workers LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA USCSO is happy to inform the membership that contract negotiations with three companies, Akal, Inter-Con, & MVM Security have been successfully concluded. With USCSO reaching 3 year agreements with each of the companies. USCSO was especially busy this year coordinating with the companies setting up dates to meet and engage in meaningful bargaining. The Union was able to make substantial gains with no losses or “give backs,” in all our new 3 years contract. This was USCSO’s first time negotiating with Inter-Con Security. The first negotiating session was held in March in New York with Inter-Con, and was attended by all the Unit Vice Presidents (UVPs) that represent units employed them. Most of the details were hammered out in the first two days of negotiating. USCSO’s Business Agent coordinating with the UVPs and Inter-Con were able to workout the the items still outstanding over the last few months which brought you the company’s “best and final offer.” USCSO has negotiated before with MVM Security Inc; and the negotiations with the company were concluded relatively quickly with the Unit Vice President of Oklahoma being satisfied with the offers made by MVM. With Akal Security USCSO has negotiated with them many times over the years and the articles in the main body of the contract have already been settled. The wages were the main concern here and the 3 year offer was reasonable to the membership employed by them. USCSO has had a very successful year attracting new group to join our ranks. We have had 5 new Units/Districts join USCSO, and we currently have 5 others voting through the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to leave their current guard union or independent local. The 5 new Units are, Eastern & Northern Oklahoma (Western OK is currently a member), Eastern Tennessee, Iowa, & Utah. Inside this issue: CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS Pg 1 Those that are currently voting are; Central California, Middle Georgia, Northern Organizing Pg 1 Ohio & Southern Ohio (Cincinnati). USCSO has also had calls from other groups who are now signing our membership cards and will soon start the process to join us . This was the objective from the start, one union made up of only CSOs & Pg 2 CSO & SSOs as Second Class Workers LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA Pg 3 SSOs. Speaking with one united voice bring all districts under one roof. So that we would have the strength and ability to financially sustain multiple law suits and arbitration to protect the employment of CSOs & SSOs nationwide. The companies and USMS do not administer the CSO program and a district by district bases and neither should we! Page 2 COURT SECURITY NEWS ARE CSOs & SSOs TREATED AS SECOND CLASS WORKERS? This question must be raised because we are being denied the basic rights of any government worker or employee in the private sector. This along with the stricter regulations and arbitrary terminations imposed on us. Examples of this are detailed below. CSOs and SSOs are constantly denied due process and have no avenue to address employment issues as federal employees or those working for private companies have. As contracted CSOs and SSOs with special deputy status, we are denied the right to challenge our terminations more commonly known as “having your credentials pulled.” Whether it is for medical reasons or arbitrary terminations for alleged violations of USMS’s Performance Standards. In addition, a determination was made recently by the Public Safety Officers benefits Program (PSOB). That CSO Stanley Cooper’s who was shot and killed at the Courthouse in Las Vegas, NV dependent son was not entitled to the federal death benefit awarded all public safety officers. USCSO has two wrongfully termination suits filed in the Southern and Western Districts of New York. In a recent court hearing in the Western District, the US Attorney’s office argued that according to the laws in which Congress developed the Court Security program. They left “no” venue for the individual CSO or SSO to challenge their termination by the USMS, and that only the “company” had the right to challenge one of their employees termination thru the “Court of Federal Claims” in Washington, DC. The Judge seemed to agree and the USMS, and as always the government has moved to dismiss the case. USCSO will certainly appeal this as the dismissal cannot stand because of future the implications this will have on CSOs/SSOs nationwide. USCSO will keep you update on any developments. (Many of you maybe familiar with the statement at the bottom of the termination letters where the USMS writes, “If the company disagrees with the decision they can go through the contract disputes act.” Again why is the system we work under rigged against us?) On the medical front the Federal Occupational Health Service (FOHS) has been overly aggressive in having CSOs & SSOs who have been employed for many years suspend and terminated for medical conditions they have worked with for years. Why are we subject to what amounts to entrance or hiring medical exams every year? What must also be taken into account is the high cost to the government and companies to administer these medical exams and follow-up exams every years. Does the government really care about the health of the CSOs & SSOs? Obviously not, because if you fail the medical you are sent home with nothing. Possibly cutting off the very medical coverage you will need to treat the condition the left you unemployed ,with no way to support yourself or your family. This just seems to be away to weed out the elderly CSOs/SSOs and those who do not live up to an arbitrary medical standard developed by those who do not understand the job functions of a CSO or SSO. There is some good new on the medical front. A few years ago a CSO in the Central District of California went out of his way and spent his own money to sue the USMS for redress of a medical deferment of a CSO in his district who was not allowed to return to work. The result of this suit was that CSOs & SSOs can now utilize the USMS’s Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to attempt to and dispute their furloughs or terminations. USCSO has begun to utilize this process by having our attorneys file charges for the CSOs & SSOs and tract the progress of the complaint. As mentioned above CSO Stan Cooper’s son was denied the PSOB’s federal death benefit because we are deemed “contract employees.” USCSO and our attorneys a few year back presented evidence to the PSOB’s hearing officer that CSOs/SSOs while on duty are “Federal Officer/ Special Deputy US Marshals.” Tis has been backed up by ruling in the District Courts and Second Circuit Court of Appeals. USCSO is now seeking political help and is planning possible legal action to right this terrible wrong! The question again must be asked, why must we be burdened with “second class status” and fight just to be treated fairly and enjoy the rights of any federal worker or private employee? Page 3 USCSO’S GOAL PLAIN AND SIMPLE IS: TO STAND BEHIND IT’S MEMBERSHIP IN IT’S TIME OF NEED! We’re on the web! UNITED STATES COURT SECURITY OFFICERS UNION USCSO “THE ONE TRUE UNION FOR CSOs” WWW.USCSO.ORG *If you would like an electronic version of this newsletter sent to you please email us at* [email protected] 35 Market St. Suite # 30 Poughkeepsie, New York, 12601 Phone: 845-486-4260 Fax: 800-967-0798 E-mail: [email protected] Links Section COURT SECURITY OFFICER SERVICES - Federal Business Opportunities: Opportunities https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=381a771d42b3c26805dc50350e31110f&tab=core&_cview=1 Company websites: Akal Security http://www.akalsecurity.com - Inter-Con Security http://www.icsecurity.com MVM Security http://www.mvmsecurity.com - Walden Security http://www.waldensecurity.com Executive Orders http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/executive-order-notificiation-employee-rights-under-federal-labor-laws http://www.dol.gov/whd/govcontracts/SCANonDisplcmntFinalRule.htm http://webapps.dol.gov/federalregister/PdfDisplay.aspx?DocId=26553 Wage Determinations OnLine.gov Go to: http://www.wdol.gov/sca.aspx When on the page select: “Selecting SCA WDs” then enter the county & state you want, then select “continue,” after this then select “YES”, next page select “NO”, next page select “NO”, next page “YES” scroll down and select “Printer Friendly Version,” to view. Stan Cooper’s remembrance on “Officer Down” Memorial Page. http://www.odmp.org/officer/20207-special-deputy-marshal-stanley-w-cooper Harry Belluomini remembrance on “Officer Down” Memorial Page. http://www.odmp.org/officer/358-special-deputy-marshal-harry-a-belluomini
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