New Sheriff, but Deputies continue protesting

[Pookie44]

New Sheriff, but deputies continue protesting

November 5, 2008 - 10:07 PM
KALAMAZOO COUNTY, Mich. (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - It was a stunning victory for Democrats in Kalamazoo County. Republican Sheriff Mike Anderson will be stepping down and Democrat Richard Fuller will replace him.

The names at the Sheriff's office are going to change, but old problems stay the same, including a labor dispute between the Deputies Association and Kalamazoo County.

Mark Caley is the President of the Sheriff's Deputies Association in Kalamazoo County, and he says a Sheriff's Deputy has two employers, a Sheriff and the County, and those two decide what happens in the Sheriff's office.

"The new Sheriff has come through the ranks of the department," Caley said, "he's a working Road Patrol Seargeant, I think he understands the issues at hand."

Caley hopes the newly elected Sheriff Fuller can help the deputies and the county end their labor dispute.

"I'm hoping to make things go more smoothly on both sides, I'm hoping that we're all able to work together," Fuller said, "I haven't seen either side pull away at this point and I want to make sure we do stay together."

Caley says the deputies needs haven't changed, they've been working without a contract since the first of the year. The deputies took their cause public, stumping days before the election, not for a candidate, but for their cause, and it's not just about the contract.

"It's what they're doing in the contract negotiations," Caley said, "the negative effect on the Deputies Association, a total restructuring of the department and the negative effect on the community."

Caley says efforts to take away labor protections for some deputies could gut departments, like the crime lab and polygraph testing, which could hurt public safety.

"The county admin doesn't understand protecting this community," Caley said, "we do because we're the protectors."

The county is looking to save money and insists that deputies receive cost of living increases and good benefits, and those benefits should be brought in line with other county employees.

Caley insists the protest weren't politically timed, and the deputies want to get back to the bargaining table, to settle a contract, bring the county savings and not cut huge amounts of services, all towards one goal.

"Protect the community by protecting our jobs," Caley said.

Caley says deputy protests will continue at the county building.