A new Era at St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office

I think that the future of the SLCSO’s Law Enforcement Division is with IUPA as our representing body. I know there are a lot of you out there that have a bad taste in your mouth for unions. Let me start by telling you that I am one of them. I was disappointed in the way the PBA came in and how they handled the SLCSO. We all saw and lived through it and I don’t want to waste a lot of time rehashing the bad old days. Let me talk to you a little about the difference in how IUPA is set up.

The biggest difference that I see is that the local members run the shop and make the decisions. We collectively form our own local union and thus our own decision makers. It is not making a call and waiting six months for the communications to break down and the opportunity passes. We would be responsible for our own direction and decisions can be made by our people on how things will be handled.

The old union seemed that they were the tail wagging the dog. We would decide that we wanted “X” and when they got around to taking it into consideration they would blow it off if it didn’t fit their agenda. With IUPA we are the dog and the tail and we can wag it how ever we please. If we collectively decide that we want “X” then “X” it will be. If we decide that we need a little assistance in deciding what “X” is and would it really be in our best interest then we call up IUPA and seek their assistance on the issue.

If something happens IUPA has general council on standby and a list of specializing attorneys on retainer to help with the situation. No more of taking a labor issue to the union only to speak to a personal injury lawyer who knows less about the issue than the people bringing the issue. Not to mention, having no say as to how your union dollars are spent. Like paying to put that personal injury attorney through school to get a clue as to what they are doing. IUPA has trained attorneys ready to go. IUPA will maintain the same amount of dues coming out of each check but $5 per person per month will be returned to our local’s treasury to be used as we see fit. An example of this would be the PSLPD’s hosting of a Policeman’s Ball, their annual Beach Party/BBQ, and the infamous bill board that shined over US1. FPPD’s acquiring the FOP lodge at 25th St and Orange Ave. to be used for a meeting place and a place for officer’s to go and relax and enjoy themselves off duty. Or whatever we as group decide to do with our funds. The key there is “WE DECIDE” what to do with “OUR FUNDS!”

Communication was extremely poor in the past from the union to the members. That day is long over. The union is the members with IUPA. This website will outline all union activity as well as maintaining an email list and facebook updates. If you don’t get the word with IUPA then you have to try not to be informed. Starting with the very first meeting that I attended and being updated on everything that transpires.

Before, we had two representatives that spoke for us to a larger body of people that made our decisions. A body of people that does not even know where St. Lucie County is located, much less what our issue were. With IUPA we are the people that we are talking to. We go to IUPA when we need them for support not the other way around. This puts the responsibility right in our laps where it belongs. We know our positions better than anyone ever could from Port Orange. If we have an issue we know what it is and who to talk to in order to resolve that issue.

I don’t foresee the future of the SLCSO being that of an adversarial more of a partnership in achieving what we are all trying to accomplish. We will get way further trying to work together than we ever could by standing around and cracking our heads together.

The Fort Pierce Police Department and the Port St. Lucie Police Department have already made the change and they are much happier with their situations than they ever were with the PBA. Not to mention how much could get done when the Executive Committees of all three agencies get together and form a coalition to plot how the political landscape of St. Lucie County will progress. If we all three get on the same page and help each other in gaining support through the elected officials in this county we will be unstoppable.

IUPA has the international backing being an affiliate of AFL-CIO and when you look at the number of votes that the three departments plus the local civilian unions can put together through being collectively in AFL-CIO there is not an elected official that would be able to ignore our issues.

I don’t want to sugar coat anything and make it appear that it will be easy. We will be responsible for our own destinies and at the end of the day the buck will stop here. There won’t be a scapegoat up north to blame anything on. So call upon every one of you to take pride in what you do and who you are to step up to the plate and not only join but get involved in the union. This will be a union of deputies, by deputies, and for deputies. Remember if you aren’t part of the solution then you are part of the problem.

I have decided to take personal responsibility for my own destiny and that of my agency and am stepping forward to help run the local union and all that entails. I ask each of you to at least join in the happy majority and become part of the solution. If you think that you bring something of substance to the table then I call on you to step forward to assist in the leadership of the local and help take the SLCSO into the future.

Jason Cannon, President