As you may already be aware of, the Town Council recently voted to make several changes to the Meet and Confer Ordinance. The main changes are:
· The Town of Gilbert will no longer participate in dues deductions for associations.
· Designation/Re-certification will require at least two-thirds vote of all eligible employees
· The Re-certification process will be conducted utilizing a secret ballot process.
In
order to continue collecting dues we will need each of you to complete a
direct deposit form and ensure it reaches the Town of Gilbert Payroll
personnel no later than Wednesday January 18th, 2012. The
forms have been filled out with the correct routing information to
deduct from your paycheck the $15/pay period for dues and standard
$2.50/pay period for PAC funds (Political Action Committee).
A form with your name on it should be placed in your work mail box this
weekend. (if you do not receive a form please contact Dan or I) If done in a timely manner, this process will result in only one missed payment. GPLA will not be collecting this one missed payment. If you do not have the paperwork submitted in a timely manner – you will be responsible for any additional missed payments. If
you prefer to pay for one full year at a time via check please contact
the Treasurer, Dan Brause, to ensure your check is received prior to
February 1st, 2012.
Later
this month the Town Of Gilbert will be providing all of you with the
opportunity to cast a secret ballot to vote on whether to re-certify the
GPLA as your official representation for Meet and Confer. Voting times and locations should be posted by the town within the next couple weeks. It
is vitally important that every eligible employee (every single officer
and sergeant whether an official GPLA member or not) vote in this
election. If GPLA does not
receive more than two-thirds vote in the affirmative (about 134 votes) –
we will no longer be able to participate in the Meet and Confer
process. We have observed a lot of good come from this process and I would like to see GPLA continue to make a difference. I would also like to show that we all stand together, collectively to have our voice be heard.
Thank you for your time and attention to these issues. If you have any questions please contact Dan Brause or me directly.