Jumpline magazine January 2024 - Flipbook - Page 10
10
1403 Of昀椀cers
Chris Fink
Secretary
Morning Brie昀椀ng
Retired Local 1403 Secretary Gary
Rainey wrote the following observations to be included in the forward to
the October 1, 2000 through September 30, 2003 Collective Bargaining
Agreement between Local 1403 and
Miami-Dade County. It has been edited for inclusion in this edition of the
Jumpline….
This collective bargaining agreement was born of rejection. When
Dominick Barbera was reluctantly persuaded to reassume the
leadership of Local 1403, he faced a perilous situation of a Local left in disarray and lacking credibility with both management
and its members.
Since no proposal had been prepared to replace the expired
CBA, he set the Executive Board to the task of developing and
negotiating a new agreement as our 昀椀rst priority. After several
months of fruitless bargaining, the union declared an impasse.
We prepared for the Special Master Hearing.
As we researched, brought in attorneys and economists, and
prepared our case, nearly every other county bargaining unit
followed the Police Benevolent Association’s wayward path of
accepting what our members had already rejected.
Dominick quickly reestablished our political integrity and
prepared the County Commission for a battle with the mayor
and county manager. When the Special Master award was received, granting us nearly twice what the other bargaining units
accepted, the county manager panicked and began to weave a
doomsday story that was beyond credibility.
It took three public hearings to override two mayoral vetoes.
The membership responded in force to every event. In the 昀椀nal
vote the county manager resigned, and the mayor received his
昀椀rst veto override by a nearly unanimous commission. The results are what follows in these pages and are, importantly, in the
improvements to the health, safety and welfare of the members
of Local 1403.
Through adversity, we are honed to our sharpest edge and
through hardships, our metal is tempered. As the longest serving of昀椀cer of Local 1403 and on behalf of a grateful membership, our heartfelt thanks are extended to Dominick for a job
well done. One person can indeed make a difference.
What Gary Rainey wrote in the forward was obviously very
powerful and moving. It re昀氀ects the leadership and fortitude of
Dominick Barbera as he stepped in to “rescue” the Local. It also
demonstrates the resolve and commitment of the Local 1403
membership, who rose to the occasion when called upon.
As we examine Local 1403, one may ask, What does the Local do?” I would suggest a better question to ask would be,
“Why does Local 1403 exist?” By asking that question, one can
determine if what we do is correctly aligned with the reason we
exist. The answer to why we exist can be found in the preamble
to our Constitution and By-Laws. It reads as follows:
“The purpose of this association is to promote and stimulate
a true cooperative spirit among its members; the elevation and
improvement of the morale, intellectual, social, and economic conditions of its members, to foster a higher degree of skill
and ef昀椀ciency in the performance of professional duties; to enable its members to contribute to and protect the communities
we serve; the maintenance of proper remuneration for duties
performed; the protection of the collective and individual rights
of its members in the pursuit of their profession; to unite the
members of the association into one group whereby through
our combined efforts we may protect ourselves against injustice
and discrimination.”
Is the Local ful昀椀lling its purpose as stated in the preamble?
That is a big question to answer. The Local certainly does some
things very well, while in other areas we are not as strong. One
thing is certain, that ultimately, the success of our organization
rests with the membership. Gary Rainey wrote, “Through adversity we are honed to our sharpest edge and through hardship our metal is tempered.” This is what allows us to unite and
protect ourselves against injustice and discrimination.
In his poem, “The Law for the Wolves,” Rudyard Kipling wrote
“For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the
wolf is the pack.” If one were to adapt that concept to our organization, it might read, “The strength of the Local is the member,
and the strength of the member is the Local.”
As we close out 2023, I want to wish everyone a prosperous 2024. If you are not receiving the Local’s e-mails
(sent via Mailchimp) or phone text messages, please
email secretary@local1403.org and ask to be added to
our distribution list. If you have any questions or concerns that you would like to have answered in a future
edition of the Jumpline, please contact me. Thanks for
the time and until next time – Stay Safe, Stay Informed
and Stay Classy 1403!
January
1
10
23
15
30
– New Year’s Day
– Health Trust Meeting – 8:30am
– E-Board Meeting
– MLK Day
– Membership Meeting – 12pm
February
7 – Health Trust Meeting
11 – Super Bowl Charity Watch Party
13 – E-Board Meeting – 8:30am
16 – FF Shawn O’Dare LODD (1985)
19 – President’s Day
27 – Membership Meeting – 8pm
28 – 106th Anniversary of the IAFF
March
2
6
9
10
12
17
26
27
31
January 2024 | JUMPLINE Magazine
– ALA Fight For Air Climb
– Health Trust Meeting
– Retiree Affair for Class of 2023 Retirees
– Daylight Savings Time begins
– E-Board Meeting – 8:30am
– St. Patrick’s Day
– Membership Meeting – 12pm
– LT Karl Carman Jr LODD (1987)
– Easter Sunday