DPS Union Vote Draws Complaint
DPS Decides to Remain With Allied International Union
A police officers’ union has filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board regarding the university’s handling of a vote to determine the Department of Public Safety’s labor representation.
Department of Public Safety officers voted last Friday to continue to be represented by Allied International Union. The United Security and Police Officers of America, the losing union, has filed objections to the handling of the vote while at least one DPS officer has accused Georgetown administrators of manipulating the vote.
Mark Baptiste-Kalaris, resident officer of the D.C. office of the National Labor Relations Board, said that 35 ballots were cast for Allied International, 24 were cast for USPOA, and one was cast for no union. He said there were about 67 eligible voters.
The vote, which applies to main campus and Law Center officers, came as DPS officers prepare to negotiate a new contract with the university. The current contract expires in August, according to DPS Communication Officer Victor Johnson, one of the force’s union representatives.
A Law Center officer, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of being fired, said university administrators pressured officers to vote to stay with Allied, which has represented DPS for 33 years. “Officers felt they were being coerced into voting for Allied,” the officer said. “They’re scared of losing their jobs.”
The officer said that prior to the union vote, Law Center Dean and Executive Vice President T. Alexander Aleinikoff wrote a letter praising Allied to DPS officers and that Georgetown Department of Human Resources employees met with officers before the vote and seemed to favor Allied in their discussions.
“Management is in bed with Allied,” the officer said.
Aleinikoff could not be reached for comment.
Wayne Gold, regional director of the NLRB’s Region 5, which includes D.C., said that USPOA has filed a complaint with NLRB concerning the legitimacy of the election. In the formal complaint, USPOA objected to the university’s mandatory meetings in which it supported Allied and university employees’ letters to DPS officers expressing support for Allied. USPOA has also alleged in its complaint that supervisors met with employees and supported Allied in those meetings, and that Allied disseminated derogatory information about USPOA.
Allied has seven days to file evidence contrary to USPOA’s objections, Gold said.
According to a letter to DPS officers from Mary Anne Mahin, vice president and chief human resources officer in Georgetown’s Department of Human Resources, USPOA petitioned the NLRB on April 2 to represent Georgetown security officers.
“Prior to the recent NLRB election, representatives from Georgetown’s Human Resources staff met with union members impacted to provide accurate, factual information and answer questions about the NLRB’s election process and to encourage employees to exercise their right to vote in the NLRB secret ballot election,” university spokesperson Julie Bataille said in an e-mail.
The anonymous Law Center officer said that the force was divided, with many Law Center officers and newer officers wishing to switch unions and many main campus and veteran officers wanting to remain with Allied. He said that many wanted to switch because Allied has not represented DPS well.
“We find it interesting that after 33 years … nobody has anything positive to say [about Allied],” the officer said.“All they could do was to attack the other union.”
THE HOYA reported in 2007 that the average wage for DPS officers was lower than those of other campus police forces in the area and that attrition was a chronic problem in the force. Johnson said that little is known about USPOA.
“They never came on campus and spoke to the officers as a group,” he said. “As far as I know, they haven’t spoken to any officers on main campus.”
Johnson described USPOA as “secretive.”
“No one can find any information about them,” he said.
No contact information nor Web site for USPOA could be found yesterday.
May 15 2009 at 11:30 a.m.
Allied International Union is crooked. The Officers are not fairly represented, nor are they fought for, ever. If this is looked into further, the unholy marriage of Allied International and The Georgetown DPS/Administration will come to light.
Until the Officers wake up, and force out Allied, there will never be any change in how DPS is run, which means no change in how the Campus is policed.
Period.
Jun 10 2009 at 11:11 a.m.
Allied International Union has never shown the DPS officers where their dues are going and what they are being used for. I worte a letter to this union regarding this same issue and it took them a month and half before they answered. In fact they did not answer the letter. Their high priced attorney in Michigan who suprisingly is a graduate of the Georgetown Law Center sent a letter telling me that I had to have just cause to request financial statements from the Allied. So what does that say? Allied needed an attorney to defend themselves when other unions would just show the financial statements to its union members. Ususlly when you get an attorney, you are using that attorney as a front to cover up your wrong doing. Wake up DPS Officers!!!! Allied is taking your money and not producing any results.
Allied International Union March 1, 2009
332 Willis Avenue
Mineola, New York 11501
To Whom It May Concern:
My name is Clark D. Browne. I am a Campus Patrol Officer at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, DC. I am also a member of your union. I have been paying dues to your union since January 2008. As a dues paying member I request that the following information be sent to me.
1.Listing of the Names and Titles of all current members of the Executive Board of Allied International Union.
2. A copy of the Constitution By Laws for Allied International Union.
3.Financial Disclosure Reports for the last 10 years. (1999-2009)
4.Complete results of the election held in 2007 that ratified the present Collective Bargaining Agreement. The names of representatives from the National Labor Relations Board and/or Independent Witnesses who served as Independent Observers of the election.
5.Copies of any written Contractual Agreement between the Management of Allied International Union and the Management of Georgetown University.
6 Copies of any and all Unfair Labor Practices Filed by Allied International Union against the management of the Georgetown University Dept of Public Safety in the last 10 years. (1999-2009)
The information requested is being requested in accordance with the The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 & The Landrum-Griffin Act of 1959 (Labor Management Reporting And Disclosure Act of 1959. (29 USC 401-531 (1988)
Please send the requested information in 5 days to the address listed below. I suggest that you take this letter very seriously and govern yourselves accordingly or I will be forced to seek other legal action against Allied International Union.
Sincerely yours
Clark D. Browne
13145 Larchdale Road, #10
Laurel, Maryland 20708
P: 301-497-7631
E-Mail: Brownie1894@yahoo.com
ClarkBrowne@aol.com
So who is this guy Clark D. Browne? I am a former Federal Police Officer who from 1991-1999 served as the President of the U. S. Naval Observatory DOD Fraternal Order of Police in Washington, DC. I am certified as Labor Relations Specialist, Federal EEO Counselor, Employment Law Specialist, Paralegal and more. I say this not to brag about my expeiences but to let people know that some of the things that are going on at Georgetown are against the law. Georgetown failed to pay for the shoe allowance of the officers which is in the collective bargaining agreement and Allied International Union failed to prosecute Georgetown for this violation of the law. Georgetown HR states that the show allowance is included in each officers paychecks but they do not show any itemization on the paystubbs. Any Federal Judge would rule in favor of the officers because Georgetown can not and will no show when and where the payments were made. The current union reps are only looking for personal gain. Wake up officers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!