Probation officers urge county legislators to cement contract deal


By DEBORAH A. MILES After working without a contract for


30 months, PEF members at the Albany County Department of Probation turned up the heat on Albany legislators to try to cement a deal. During the summer, they held two


protests in front of the Albany County Office Building where they spoke to county legislators about their attempts to negotiate a fair and equitable contract. PEF Division 502 Council Leader


Michelle Driscoll said the union has made concessions since it began negotiations in 2009. “Our local has worked very hard.


We have been more than fair with the county,” Driscoll said. “We are just asking for the same salary and benefits the other Albany County collective-bargaining units received in 2009. We are not asking for anything more.” Craig MacNeil, a probation officer,


addressed the legislators at their monthly meeting August 8. “In the two and a half years since


our contract expired, the county has made deals with almost all the other county bargaining units,” MacNeil said. He told the legislators how


probation officers have saved the county hundreds of thousands of dollars with its pre-trial services unit, which keeps people out of the county jail while they await disposition of a pending matter. He also told how the county saved literally millions of dollars because probation officers diverted juveniles away from long- term placement, where they would require costly living facilities and in- house services. “We developed in-house


programming such as a parenting program, juvenile and adult anger-


management programs, and a cognitive behavioral therapy program. All of those programs are run by probation officers who volunteered to get additional training,” MacNeil said. “We run an offender workforce


program, so they are no longer on public assistance, but become taxpayers. We have a 12-member warrant squad, which in the last two and a half years, made more than 350 arrests in the community. “Probation officers have been going


to work every day without a contract. We start at 4:30 in the morning when our warrant squad starts kicking in doors, and stay as late as 9:30 at night, when we are in the community doing home visits. “We make sure there is a safe


environment for families and neighborhoods. We’ve been making Albany County a better place to live, yet two and a half years later, we still don’t have a contract,” MacNeil said. Driscoll said PEF submitted its last


formal proposal to the County Legislature August 2. “All in all, our proposal is saving


the county a total of $275,000 in back pay,” Driscoll said. “We still accept the drug plan


offered in 2010. We also offered to pay for 15 more parking slots, instead of having the county pay for them. This more than shows the attempts to meet the financial needs of the county. “Our well is now dry. It is time for


the county to move to our position. “We are not certain what the future


will bring, but it has been reassuring to see the support from Daniel McCoy (chair, Albany County Legislature) and the other county legislators for our probation officers and PEF Division 502. We would like to see their continued support by accepting our proposal,” Driscoll said.


PRESSING FORA DEAL—PEFmembers at theAlbany County Department of Probation speak to county legislators July 11.They include Division 502 Council LeaderMichelle Driscoll andAssistant Council LeaderNicoleYaggle speaking to LegislatorWandaWillingham. Probation officer Dan Fruscio speaks to Legislator DaveMayo,while PEFVice President Joe Fox silently protests with officers Frank Cangiano,Steve Keyer, John Pendleton and Jodi Cox.Yaggle also speaks to Legislator Robert Beston.OnAugust 8, striking employees fromVerizon support


the probation officers in a rally in front of theAlbany CountyOffice Building. —Photos by DeborahMiles and DarcyWells


Page 6—The Communicator September 2011 PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445


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