Black Butte Police seek to join Teamsters union

Black Butte Police officers are seeking organized representation, probably with the Teamsters Union, according to sources within Deschutes County.

Black Butte Police Chief Hank Fegette said that he had not talked to officers about the matter, but he speculated that unionization efforts were spawned by concern over Measure 47 and possible budget cuts.

Bill Handy, Chairman of the Managing Board for the Black Butte Ranch Service District, said the paperwork received from the Teamsters had been turned over to Deschutes County, since Black Butte Police are county employees.

The Board of County Commissioners is the governing board, according to Handy.

"We on the ranch don't have much to say about what they do," Handy said. But he did say the unionizing effort came "as kind of a surprise to us on the managing board."

Deschutes County Administrator Mike Maier said the county received the letter through Black Butte from the Teamsters in the middle of November "that they represented the officers and they wanted to sit down and negotiate a contract."

The county then received a letter from the National Labor Relations Board saying the teamsters organizing effort had been rejected because it was misdirected.

Because the Black Butte Police are county employees, unionizing efforts have to go through Oregon's Employee Relations Board.

"I suspect now they (the Teamsters) are going though the ERB, which has a specific set of procedures that must be followed," Maier said.

The employees first need to sign "showing of interest" cards. One officer indicated that all four officers had already signed the cards.

Following the showing of interest, there needs to be a "unit clarification hearing" to determine who qualifies for representation.

The county has resisted efforts include sergeants in the bargaining unit, Maier said, because "we think if you are supervising and in a position to evaluate or discipline an employee, you should not be in the same labor bargaining unit."

Black Butte has one sergeant.

Following the clarification hearing, there is an election notice. At that time, another union, such as that which represents county deputies, might intervene and offer representation to the Black Butte officers.

Maier said the county had not been contacted by the ERB and that "nothing has officially happened yet."