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Sisters police officers and support personnel have petitioned the Oregon
Employment Relations Board to form a union.
According to lawyer Rhonda Fenrich of Eugene, the Sisters Police Association is
attempting to organize "for collective bargaining and negotiating purposes.
My job is as their attorney."
Fenrich referred questions about why the police were attempting to organize to
local officers.
Acting president of the association, detective Don Pray, said he was only
authorized to say "we are in negotiations with the bargaining unit at this
time."
The efforts to unionize follow a denial last June by Sisters City Administrator
Barbara Warren of a request that the city pay a total of between $5,000 and
$7,000 to five officers in accrued "comp time."
Police Chief David Haynes believed the money was available, since he had spent
$43,000 less than had been budgeted by the city for police services.
This led to a dispute between Haynes and Warren. Haynes initially resigned,
then withdrew his resignation. Officers began taking their accrued time off.
Warren told police officers in following weeks that police layoffs might be
necessary to balance the budget.
Later, Warren indicated that layoff's might not be necessary.
At the end of August, every Sisters police officer except for the chief
signed a "showing of interest card" for the Employment Relations Board, the
first step in forming a union. Chief Haynes is not involved in unionizing
activities because, as chief, he represents management.
In September, Warren notified department heads that they needed to look at ways
to immediately cut expenditures.
On October 7, the city council held a special meeting and appointed Bruce
Bischof as negotiating counsel with the Sisters Police Association.
The city council was to convene the budget committee on October 8 to look at
the budget for the current fiscal year and the following year, 1997-98.
The budget committee might determine that layoffs this year are still
necessary.
According to Detective Don Pray, the Sisters Police Association is waiting
for the city to respond to the unionization effort with a full employee roster
list. From this list, the Employee Relations Board will determine who in the
department is eligible for union membership.
Rhonda Fenrich's firm represents other police and fire organized unions in
central Oregon, including the Bend Police Department, Deschutes County
Sheriff's deputies and the Bend Fire Department.
