The University will return to the bargaining table with union leaders for two days of negotiations next week, after unionized University Police officers rejected Monday a proposed contract with GW.
In a 45-9 vote, officers in the International Union, Security, Police, Fire Professionals of America nixed a deal reached late last week with the University, Darrin Carter, head of the Local 294 branch the University Police Department officers fall under, said. While their contract expired Dec. 31 and talks on wage hikes and leave policies have been strained, he said picketing will not begin immediately to give each side’s attorneys time to confer and hash out another deal.
“[Members] think it’s a contract that just doesn’t respect the officers,” Carter said. “We want to give one last opportunity to talk to see if we can fix our differences. If we can fix our differences, this goes away.”
Deliberations will continue Feb. 16 and 17, Guy Thomas, one of the union’s national directors, said. The rejection of the proposal brings officers one step closer to picketing outside UPD’s headquarters at the Woodhull House – still working their scheduled shifts but forming a line and passing out literature to share information on their cause – if next week’s talks fail to build an agreement that officers pass.
“We are disappointed that the members of the GWPD bargaining unit did not ratify the agreement negotiated for them by their union representatives,” a University statement provided by the Office of Media Relations read. “We look forward to meeting with the negotiating team soon and hope to reach an agreement that will be approved by the bargaining unit.”
Carter was fired from UPD in June for absences without leave but he remains the head of the union’s local branch as the union is still arbitrating his dismissal.
The rejected deal offered a 3-percent pay increase for the first year of a three-year contract, but would have reopened wage negotiations for the second and third years, according to a proposal obtained by The Hatchet. It did not include a pay raise for night differentials, or wages for work between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m., which union leaders said has remained at a 75-cent-per-hour standstill for more than 15 years.
Security patrol officers at GW earn about $42,000 annually, Carter said. The national average annual pay for police patrol officers at colleges and universities is about $46,560, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data published in May 2010. The 3-percent raise would boost wages for GW’s officers from $21.41 to $22.05 hourly – 34 cents lower than the national hourly pay.
Thomas said the union hopes to reach agreement, but if not, it will “explore all our options” including informational picketing and, if that does not produce results, striking. But picketing would be the group’s first course of action, as it would be least disruptive to students and faculty, he said.
Officers also disapproved of a provision that would allow supervisors to cancel an officer’s leave in emergency cases, Carter said. The policy would require officers with previously granted time off to show up at work if they could not present a receipt declaring a $100 or higher vacation cost.
Carter said the union would not wait longer than a week to reach another deal and will otherwise picket.
“Everyone has spoken for themselves,” he said.
UPD DOES VERY LITTLE… ANY TIME THERE IS A REAL CONFLICT THEY MESS IT UP AND RELY ON REAL POLICE.. THESE PEOPLE THINK THERE A BIGGER DEAL THAN THEY ARE AND ARE USING THERE POWER IN THE WRONG WAY TO LEVERAGE A WAY TO MAKE MORE MONY FOR BUSTING 20 YEAR OLD KIDS FOR HAVING A BEER.
Pete Van De Beck,
You clearly have a very limited vocabulary and your grammer skills are poor for a college student. Glad you are a expert at running a law enforcement agency, You should apply as a Chief somewhere, just try to not fat finger the shift key and type in all capitals!
In addition to your comment “any time there is a real conflict they call the real police.” If you mean serious incidents involving an armed person yes we call the armed police because frankly if you and the university feel we don’t need firearms then I’m not rushing in to save you and getting shot in the process with no weapon. UPD are just the enforcers, you don’t like the focus on underage drinking go to Rice Hall and change the administrations mind. As soon as they say they don’t want us focusing on it I will gladly let you do what you want
It is kind of embarrassing to spell the word “grammar” wrong while chiding someone else’s grammar skills.
Although I understand the need for UPD I do think their practices are bullshit. A fire alarm went off in my room one day and a female officer decided that she thought we were smoking weed. We burned food in the kitchen and she said that she’s allergic to weed and when her eyes started tearing up she said that was an allergic reaction to it. She then proceeded to call the community director and our whole room was searched. They found nothing, but she still tried to report us to SJS for suspicious activity. I’d like to give her a big fuck you over this board.
Again, see below search and seizure commentary. UPD violates our rights on a daily basis, but they can, because they are the Keystone Kops and hand out “administrative violations” that would get thrown out of a real court for violating procedures of evidence.
But then, if their unconstitutional search yields something that is actionable, they still call MPD based on this “fruit of the poison tree”.
Your not very smart. Fruit of the Poisonous Tree would dictate that all evidence would be thrown out in court. UPD has the same standards as MPD when it comes to Search and Seizure under the US Constitution. Whether you realize it or not, UPD police officers (the ones with patches that say POLICE) are acting as AGENTS OF THE GOVERNMENT anytime they utilize their police powers, which are commissioned upon them by the Mayor of the District of Columbia.
That is why COMMUNITY DIRECTORS conduct administrative searches… not UPD. UPD stands by during an administrative search in order to provide security to the Community Director (who is a civilian and NOT an agent of the government) and to collect any evidence that may be found.
Secondly, your perception of “calling MPD” is not what you think it is. UPD is calling MPD for a prisoner transport ONLY. The UPD police officer is still processing the arrest, papering the case and acting as the government’s agent in the criminal trial.
Yoooo Wilhelm you’re ma boiiiii citein the constitution like a true G. Hit me up we GOTTA PARTAAAY!!!!!! My numbers 555-555-6969, cheers to your first friend
Van Whoever You Are,
UPD and Student Rights And Responsibilities are two separate organizations. Officers simply cite the violation they don’t decide the punishment let alone see any fines. Your a brilliant economist, you discovered apparently how GWU stays afloat finically by some petty fine imposed on students. Clearly a biggeted view is from someone who has been busted If you don’t like the policy then stand up and change the policy or go to another school! If you find a new school with the “real police” I hope you also enjoy what comes along with that “real criminal charges for underage drinking” real fines u pay to the state not the school”, “real probation” and a “real criminal record”
“If you find a new school with the “real police” I hope you also enjoy what comes along with that “real criminal charges for underage drinking” real fines u pay to the state not the school”, “real probation” and a “real criminal record””
And police that have to actually abide by actual search and seizure laws, which are more restrictive than University policy. They would need a warrant to go in your desk and find the concealed Adderall and Buck knife. They would not just be able to walk into your room without probable cause. There would be questions of evidence admissibility for contraband seized by RA’s, and the fruit of “health and safety inspections” would be subject to more stringent rules for prosecution.
So there are trade offs on both sides.
If UPD were a real police department, they would be up to their ass in lawsuits over illegal investigation methods, and search and seizure activities.
Highly doubtful; if you’re living on University property, you’re subject to University policy. UPD is acting within their rights.
Guess you don’t realize that UPD is an Accredited Law Enforcement Agency (CALEA)? Guess what? MPD isn’t accredited.
To put in your educational mindset terms… would you go to a college/university that wasn’t accredited?
UPD is a joke I say we cut their pay in half for even thinking they deserve more money
Would they be satisfied if their raise was paid in McDonald’s and Twinkies?
I don’t know about the rest of you, but my experiences with UPD have always been a lot more pleasant when MPD wasn’t around. The MPD officers did not want to be there, stood around doing very little, and were being exceptionally rude to both students and UPD officers alike. I think it would be far better for everyone involved if MPD was entirely out of the equation, but I recognize that there are some incidents which need to be called out to them
Corporal Brown should be removed from UPD. Horrible scumbag
Don’t know who wrote that comment but it was pretty hilarious to wake up to
I don’t know who posted either of those comments, but this is getting weird real quick.
I don’t care, let’s just get back to the cop bashing.
I negotiated the first contract with GWU on behalf of the campus police officers. Back then, The University, using the #2 lawfirm in the city, used the wear-them-out-by-delay negotiation strategy. After several months, The University was still only willing to discuss the non-important issues. I decided the only way to successfully negotiate with them was to take it away from the table. At the University President, Joel Trachtenberg’s “Speking My Mind” book signing, I handed out flyers headlined with: “Speaking Our Minds”. Needless to say, Mr. Trachtenberg was not happy and apparently instructed the lead negotiator to settle the dispute by the following negotiation or he’d come down and do it himself. In short, I wish the officers well. Some things never change.
John F. Kennedy
Jack-
How’s your head feeling?
I think everyone here is focused on the wrong thing.
Whitney Houston just died today. This is of utmost importance.
Sorry to bring everyone back to reality.
I will be returning to the campus if you did not hear. I was offered a position this week due and will be monitoring all restrooms for optimal flow to 5000 Overlook to ensure that GW is getting their monies worth when it comes to body waste removal. This position has been created due to me winning my lawsuit for the improper firing of me from the University police years ago. I also was told that i will be able to keep current full time position i hold as well. I am so happy that this happened i have bought property in SE DC and will be starting a security training academy to teach campus police proper flashlight procedures and how to open a roll of dimes to dial 911….