Last week ALL department heads within the county were summoned to a meeting in Decatur to brainstorm various ways to cut their budgets.
The most prevalent idea to come out of the meeting is to revamp the vacation/sick day accruing system, wiping the slate clean of our hard earned, saved vacation and sick time.
What would that mean to you? Well, if you use every vacation and sick day as soon as you get it, nothing. But if you are a dedicated hard worker who rarely takes vacation or sick days, it means you lose all those days you have saved over the years for emergency's and retirement.
The current system or benefit, most likely will be replaced with a "use it or lose it,” type system. The county will give you only a set number of days per year for vacation and sick time. If you use them, great. If you don't, then you lose them at the end of the year.
If and when this is enacted, will Burrell do so with an executive order under the cover of darkness, standing behind his henchman Richard Stogner? Or will he come forward and announce it publicly at one of his "feel good" budget hearings?
Sunday, February 13, 2011
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46 comments:
Wow, way to get rid of the only good thing left.
If this happens, then DeKalb is done. Bankrupt. And then I will be done. I've been trying my hardest to remain loyal to this place. I keep getting stabbed in the back. I will not sink with this Titanic. Now, I'm going to start looking for my lifeboat to jump to.
What a shame. Too bad for the citizens as well.
AL
My sergeant has been tellinag us not to abuse sick time because you might need it. If they take away my accrued sick time, what am I supposed to use if I get hurt on a part time?
I can be in the county, performing a police related function that is in line with my job as a police officer but will not covered by the county...... case law says I should be covered if the employer benefits from my working and it is in line with my job on the clock...... risk management's position seems to be screw you, we have staff lawyers and can out wait the officer.
This would be very bad!
Yeah its about time we stop taking it in the rear... and we need to go ahead with the S word and I don't mean stop
Many employers are going to a split system. Some sick time is set aside in an Extended Illness Bank and some added to vacation to use as you please. The days of unlimited accrual are shortly going to be history. I can keep about 400 hours "on the books." Welcome to the real world government employee.
Hey People......Its time to band together. Its time to create an association among yourselves and get together the strength in large numbers. Its time to be stop being treated like dog poop.
Voice in mass has a better chance of coming together against those who do not care about the rank and file. The BOC, COO, and CEO as I have said before, are only interested in themselves, not you.
Do you think they care about the taxpayer who shells out hard earned money every year in taxes, fees, and nonsense other fees for this, that, and the other? Of course not. Do you think that potholes that has been in the middle of Lawrenceville highway for ten months is going to get fixed anytime soon? Of course not.
Do you think that the widening of a certain road is going to be widen anytime soon becasue of excessive traffic? Of course not. But do think that the furniture in the CEO's office is going to be repalced within a year? Hell yes !!
The system of money distribution in this county for the perpose of salaries, promotions, special awards, etc is so lopsided by those in charge, that it would take a major earthquake to get the playing field leveled out perfectly, and that ain'y going to happen.
The only way to make things right, is FEDERAL COURT. Payout by the county to its employees is something that any jursidiction doesn't want because of the cost of litigating. The mass
of employees who band together, both vocally and with their wallets, will make waves that even the county cannot stop.
Its time people to get crackin'
I WONDER IF WILL APPLY TO THE CHOSEN PEOPLE WHO WORK FOR THE COMMISSION ? yOU KNOW, THE ONES WITH THE CAR ALLOWENCES, BONUS'S, FIVE DAY WEEKENDS OFF TYPES?
If you have accumulated sick time and vacation time, they can't take it away from you. They may try to change how it is accumulated in the future, but they can't take away what they have already given you. It's been a part of your compensation to this point. If they tried to take your accumulated days away from you, it would be no different from them deciding to cut your pay by 25% retroactively since you've been hire, and taking money out of your bank account to make it back for the county. I guess what I'm trying to say is, if they try to take away what we've already accumulated, they're facing one hell of a losing lawsuit!! And the best part is, any labor attorney would beg to take on this lawsuit!!
This isn't going to save the county money anyways. What a stupid idea! Most people can't take vacation and holidays as it is!!
If you want to save money, start by cutting unnecessary departments!! Why don't you start with the Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center? What a waste of a money that racist place is! Does that place realize that there are people in the county who aren't african-american? We're all being furloughed and being denied raises while the county is paying for this "theater's" racial agenda. Cut their funding! We don't need their stupid plays!
like i said earlier, WOW ! it's only gona get better. the ones that could have left last may and stayed?? like WOW !!
So it is suggested "to band together...time to create an association among yourselves and get together the strength in large numbers. It's already here people. It's called the FOP. All you need to do is join. If you care about your future here, now more than ever is it time to get serious.
No wonder he needs all the officers guarding his offices while he at at work.
How many officers are assigned guarding his office? I guess we have enough to spare for this detail.
Our vacation time and sick time is a part of our compensation we have earned. If the county wants to do away with all of the time we have accumulated, they have to buy it back from us. If they just try to take it away, we have a very easy to win lawsuit.
Try it, county! I dare you!
Thankful to be gone!!
to Anonymous February 13, 2011 8:37 PM
I have a question for you living in the real world. Does your employer put restrictions on you that there can only be one person off at a time? Probable no. If there are too many people off would that put one of your co-workers lives in danger? Again I’m betting no. So before you talk about the real world come do a shift in a DeKalb Unit then you will see what’s real in Metro Atlanta
Just call it what it is in Dekalb, a minimum wage job. All that could leave and go elsewhere have, so do whatever you want, CLEARY no one will resist.
Time to band together?...Thats a joke.
Y'all make me laugh with all your lawsuit crap. Every time the BOC does something y'all threaten to sue. Guess what happens..........the BOC does it any way and y'all take it with a smile on your face (i.e. Furloughs...).
You know what will really hurt?? QUITTING and going elsewhere! Dekalb is a dead end people and I'm glad I left when I did. 10 bucks says you get furloughed 10-15 days..... No raises....... No cars (seized funds are finite you know)....... No OT........ And the crime goes up this year.
Ask yourself........."Why am I still working here?"
In 10 months your insurance rates will go up, your pension contributions will go up, your pay will go down, and you will get no raise next year and probably get furloughed 10-15 more days. Oh, and 2012 will bring changes to the holiday/vacation benefit. Dekalb will not see any increase in it's tax base because of all the foreclosures and the lack of business coming in. The SACS is currently investigating the school system which will cause more people to leave and scare off more businesses.
Dekalb will not recover for another 5-7 years IF the economy levels out. Dunwoody is gone so the tax base will NEVER be the same and you run the risk of losing more due to incorporation. The BOC will not downsize the government and will continue to make cuts enmasse rather than cut useless depts. There is no hope. Face it. One third of your career will be spent "riding" this out. Even then, there is too much risk involved in hoping that things will change.
Ask yourself........."Why am I still working here?"
FOP what a joke what have they done besides sit by and let us get screwed over and over. President wiggs get your sh*t together and start making changes. Your speeches to the media mean nothing unless they change something.
Guys and Gals, I have already secured you an attorney once I heard of this and he is ready for a class action lawsuit. If they try to take the time back without paying you for it I will post the info.
Why would anyone think of issuing a citation????
WOW !!
Over 2,000 hours in sick time, hummm, I think I'm gonna be sick, especially after hearing this.
To "FOP what a joke what have they done...." I'd bet more than you have done your whole time here. The BOC will not listen to one man standing up there by himself. All the bitching on this blog has not seemed to change a thing, other than show how divided we are!
what if you work in department where they only let one person off..we can never get vacation in my dept
Face it.....Anyone who is working for Dekalb County is being treated like an idiot, or better yet, a kindergarten student. The BOC, COO, and the CEO are all of the understanding that you workers are affraid of telling your supervisors of what you think. The BOC, COO, and the CEO are on stage with their bullwhips, cracking them every minute, and the little people jump to attention.
This shit has to stop. Corporal punshishment went bye bye many years back. Face it......you are no longer in kindergarten.
There are labour laws as to what Dekalb is doing and most of it is probably illegal.
Challenge them soon..........
The not mentioned but most obvious hidden risk is your pension. Granted EVERYTHING has or is being taken away but if you are vested I suggest you freeze it and take something with you for your years of efforts. It is VERY clear the pension is being restructured to benefit the county and as a current employee you may very well lose it all.
I say punnish the people that elected them write as many citations as you can possible write the nitpicker the better. when they complain tell them to call their county commissioner. starting with the CEO.
Hey Matt,
I'm another one out here in the real world. Yep, we have restrictions on who can be off and when. So, if I want Christmas day (we work that day) off, I need to ask for it by about February, or I won't get it.
As for carrying days, out here in the world, it's almost unheard of. I've been at my job 7 years, and I get 2 weeks paid vacation every year. When I get to 10 years, it'll go up to 3 weeks, where it stays until I hit the 20 year mark.
I also get 5 sick days per year. Not personal, SICK days...stay out more than 2 in a row, and I need a doctors note or else they come off vacation time.
I can carry over up to 1 week vacation to the next year, and can have a total of 15 sick days. Period. If I end the year with 9 vacation days left, I lose 2.
I've had 15 sick days available for about the last three years-I don't even count those anymore.
My wife gets more vacation, but has the same restrictions. I don't know of a single private company that lets employees carry over an unlimited amount of hours.
Oh, and if we quit, we don't get paid a nickel for vacation/sick time we have available.
To Matt:
Restrictions on number of people off per shift? Yes. Too many people off per shift creating danger for those there? Yep. Same job different location. Dekalb is nothing special and no different than many other metro areas. Times are changing and so are policies and procedures. The days of being able to save your time and using it to enhance your pension are soon going to be history. The taxpayers cannot sustain this anymore.
WOW... Better use it before you lose it now. Sad for the vets but don't give them anything. I foresee some impromptu fishing trips on the horizon.
"The taxpayers cannot sustain this anymore".
Someone please explain this to me. If I save 2100 hours of sick time and leave a year early how does that cost the taxpayers money? It would seem that it would save the taxpayers a year or more of my salary since I'll now be drawing from the pension fund. Isn't that always the point of early out retirements...have people leave early to save the company/government money?
Now lets go onto the bigger question of this real world crap. We are the ones actually having to work in the "real" world. We get to deal with EVERY facet of society, from the most dangerous SOB's known to man, to the nicest old lady you'll ever find. First Responders across this country work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. All a person anywhere in this United States has to do is call a simple three digit phone number and someone will answer. Tell me another company in your real world that does that????
I don't care if you're the newest bright-eyed rookie on patrol or the oldest chief, you have to strap that gun on your side to come to work. Any day could bring "that call" where you will be ultimately tested, only our brotherhood knows what this feels like. I can't believe the audacity of so many people telling me I'm lucky my job isn't in the "real world" or better still the ones who say we're lucky to have a job. No YOU'RE lucky we do this job. Many people philosophically ask what's their life worth, we first responders get the answer to that question every two weeks in our paychecks. Getting right down to it, it seems every year those in position (BOC- CEO, Mayor or whatever politician) are saying our lives are worth less and less.
There will come a day when citizens of this county along with many other municipalities of this country will look back and wonder where it all went wrong. They will see the very fabric of their communities ripped to shreds, controlled by thieves and corrupt governments, some would say it is already here in DeKalb, Detroit, Newark, Memphis, and other once great cities. We first reponders won't have to look back and wonder why, we already know.
So go ahead and build your ivory towers with already crumbling foundations but don't think for one moment that we will be treated this way and go quietly into the night to protect you. Many of us, especially the good ones, will leave and go where they will be treated with honor and respect. Me, I don't have that option, I will stay here and fight you with everything your violent streets have taught me over these many years.
Note to BOC, in case you haven't noticed, employee recruit quality is way down. This seems kind of odd now that so many positions now require a college degree. You would think that requiring a college degree would automatically provide DeKalb with high quality, intelligent and motivated employees.
From what I have seen, college students come in two flavors, half are well motivated and ambitious, the other half are there for the fun and graduation is optional. DeKalb seems to attract the second group because the first group got better employment offers for some strange reason.
Under Vern's administration several initiatives were trotted out and implemented. The Purchasing department was virtually destroyed and rebuilt with college graduates and city of ATL refugees. Subsequently purchasing contracts and like doubled or tripled in cost.
The no "pay for performance plan" where only political staff could receive a five percent raise, the rest of us could receive 2-3 max, due to documentation requirements.
The new pension plan, vastly inferior and cheaper than the old plan, DeKalb employees don't mind making 15 percent less than their market value if employees got it on the back-end when they retired. The old pension is cushy, and expensive. Something clearly needed to be done, and DeKalb government did it.
When reporters asked the BOC if the new pension would effect the quality of employee candidates, the BOC replied that they saw zero problems attracting highly qualified candidates.
Again to the BOC, How the frack can you attract high quality employees when your market wages are 15 percent below neighboring governments, your pension kinda sux, benefits are below neighboring counties, and you treat employees as dirt at every opportunity?
The Directors confab should of pushed for a massive county reorganization as the first priority. That they didn't speaks volumes about the quality, loyalty and integrity of the directors to their employees, the citizens and the county.
Instead our genius directors have come up with the plan for reducing annual and sick leave. What does that leave DeKalb government to offer as incentive to qualified candidates? Note to resident geniuses, the only way we can attract any high qualified employees with our low pay, lousy pension, and general oppression of DeKalb employees by DeKalb rulers, is to emphasize and offer a generous annual leave and sick leave plan.
Now you want to take that away from new employees. Are you fracken' nuts?
At this rate the only employee candidates will be the misinformed and clueless.
I do not enjoy watching the death spiral of DeKalb government one bit, mates! I have zero confidence in the citizens to vote in good, officials. Unless DeKalb employees start stepping up and challenging these bozo's, I see little hope for DeKalb government. Best of luck, guys!
Ken Choate, AKA LoFlyer, (Google doesn't like my password for some reason, I thought I had it fixed!)
I'm not quite sure who the ticket slow down is helping, aside from the drivers is DeKalb who think of it as a get out of jail free card! The idea of writing more tickets, nit picky or otherwise would be my plan. If th citizens od DeKalb don't have our back then screw 'em!
To Anon 11:29
Maybe the taxpayers just can’t sustain a police department anymore at all.
The job of police officer in a large metropolitan agency is very difficult. It is stressful, complicated and dangerous. The higher the crime rates in the jurisdiction in which you work the more difficult the job. No one is suggesting that it is just DeKalb County. The things I mention above apply to police departments all over the U.S.
Traditionally the salaries of police officers have never been that great. Everybody understands that. This is a fact that just can not be disputed. However, the tradeoff has always been that law enforcement officers in state and local governments have pretty good benefits.
If you slash the benefits AND the pay, what is left? Why would anyone want to be a police officer in a large urban police department? Oh sure you will always be able to find SOMEBODY to put on the uniform. But what kind of person will you attract? Mostly you will get people with low morals, low character, poor work ethic, little education and people who are just cowards.
If DeKalb County and other governments across the U.S. can not or will not pay for a professional police department any longer, then so be it. Just understand what you are going to get instead.
I'm so tired of hearing complaints! What can WE do? Let's stop complaining and come up with solutions to our problems other than leaving the county! I'm all for the entire county calling in on the same day, ticket strikes, protesting, whatever it takes to let our voices be heard. I hope someone smarter thatn me can look into contacting the National Relations Labor Board and filing a complaint! I would love to do it however I would be without a job as soon as it is filed! Please look into it! It prohibits adverse actions from employers for forming unions that will better working conditions.
To the anonymous gentlemen that compare our jobs to corporate America; we (officers) need our time off more than the average working American due to the stress of the job and issues we have to deal with? Do you wear a bullet proof vest to work? Do you carry a gun? Do you worry about people you have came into contact with at work possibly seeing you with your family while your off? Ask yourself those questions before you start comparing officers to the average working citizen! We are called para-military for a reason! Have you looked at the military's vacation options for soldiers? If you take our time away I guarantee suicides, domestic disputes, and violence against the public will go through the roof due to stress and frustration!
There has to be some perks to get people to take a shitty police job. Like a good pension, decent merit raises, being able to accumulate vacation and sick times. Dekalb Co has NEVER been able to observe that there is a difference between a police officer and what they have to put up with with the crime and the consistant turmoil within the police departmentand a librarian. Take away the meager perks that we have and there will be flight to other departments and they will only be able to attract the worst possible police candidates. But I don't think these morons care at all about this. Just keep these complete morons away from your pension or you will be very, very sorry very soon. If there was ever a place or situation for a yankee type teamster knuckle busting UNION...well this is THE place. This is one horrible place to work.
Just remember they have hired another Atlanta executive to replace Mike Bell. She is the one behind changing our promotion pay and vacation and sick time.
See if anyone will come out and say it will not happen.
We lost our promotion pay.
Guess what is next.
I bet we are on the list of every person looking to go into law enforcement.
Compare Dekalb benefits to every other department.
Well at least we had a good department at one time.
I wish anyone hired in the last 5 years , best of luck to you.
let's see renew the ticket slow down, that will show them.
Then everyone call in sick. The Blue Flu was big in NYC in the 60's so we can use it here.
Lets storm the CEO's offices, That worked well on college campuses in the 70's
even better we can all sit around here and bitch and talk about things we know nothing about, but that was what High School girls did in the 80's and 90's.
I know lets all whine and cry like a bunch of babies, that will do it for sure.
Why don't all of you who are so unhappy and feel unappreciated just man up and quit.
If it sucks that bad here, just go.
I hear Woodstock is looking for folks. Better yet move to Mayberry NC, Barney needs the help
Just get the hell out of my County and let me do my job. You embarrass us all.
Anon 9:53 PM,
You talk a tough game from behind your keyboard. Why don't you name a time and place where you can lecture us all on how to be as great as you? I'll be there!
To:February 14, 2011 11:20 AM and
February 14, 2011 11:29 AM
Have you had any kind of raise in the at least the past four years? this is one of the last things we have left. So since yall are sitting up in your real world ivory towers once again jump in a DeKalb unit and stop hiding behind "Anonymous" before you say the taxpayers can't support it any longer check out what is going on in Decatur. Vacation bank and sick days are the last thing they need to worry about paying for
issues, issues, issues. I HOPE ALL OF YOU ARE IN POAP RETIREMENT FUND. $10.00 A PAY PERIOD. yes, the county is taking more out of your check BUT, this is the best thing going. all you new guys GOTA do it. you WIL NEVER make what us old timers make. NEVER !!!! 770 228 8461. RULES HAVE CHANGED IN JULY AS TO LONGEVITY and buy back time. this is for your future. it costs the same as a co-cola a day. SIGN UP SIGN UP. it goes with you as long as you are policing in the state of GA. TEN YEARS = $240.41 TWENTY YEARS $480.82 AND so forth. 24.41 for each year of service. you will get this only if you sign up AND you will get if you write tickets or dont write tickets. stop spending it on soda or donuts. sign up sign up sign up.
to anon 948 and 1147. all these things that everyone talks about doing, ticket slowdown and so forth will not work unless everyone participates. you have those that will issue long copy warnings then you have those that cant wait to get to work just so the can turn on their blue lights. what keeps the government working is, difference in opinion, wants and needs in this world. it benifits the govenment when you cant agree.
remember, if you take a crap, it will smell the same if its at dekalb , gwinnett, cobb co.
SIGN UP IN THE RETIREMENT FUND in between these keystrokes.
like i said earlier WOW !!
To Anon 12:17 PM Feb 14th
I just got back from Steinhatchee FL and the fishing was no good. The water was too cold and the wind too brisk. The food was excellent and the beer and liqour did flow however!
Now about the 1st part of April it will change. The days will be longer and warmer and the trout will be biting like crazy. I have a sugestion to make. If yall are going to plan a few days off for a fishing trip, do it when the weather is nicer and the fish are biting. Regardless of where you go, you will have a good time. Panama City has several retired Dekalb County Police Officers who would love to buy you a beer, show you where to fish, and show you what it is like when you finally get away from Atlanta.
I always made it a point to work at my vocation (DeKalb Police Officer) and then have a more important avocation (Fish, hunt, make birdhouses or whatever) to keep my mind off DeKalb County.
Certainly we all know DeKalb is bankrupt...no money, no morality, and no hospitality. But we, as police officers stil have the camraderie that comes from working in hell. This is something no BOC and no crooked cop and no budget cutting, pencil pushing worm in Decatur will ever take away from us. This is our great strength. Our sense of honor and duty are what the elected officials of DeKalb are now using against you to try and fix the financial mess they have gottem themselves into.
Working as a DeKalb County Police Officer was one of the greatest things I ever did. Right up there with my prior military service. I would not trade those memories, the sense of pride, camraderie, and accomplishment that I have for any amount of money.
I pity my brothers and sisters still stuck working there however. We all know that it will only get worse. I wish I had an answer for you....
If you want help planning the fishing trip just let me know,
Sgt Friendly
Hey Mr. Real World..Got a question for you..When was the last time 11 people that chose your career field got shot in a 24 hour period? Go ahead and thank about it I got 5 years to wait for your answer...Then I'm out..Then I will have to make sure I don't twist my ankle on that curb in front of the office, or get a paper cut, and really make sure I don't fall out of my chair in the office...That could be a long drop...I've never used a sick day in 25 years for a work related injury..But if I take a bullet to protect your sorry ass cause you don't have the balls to protect yourself, then I sure as hell wanna be able to recover 100 percent before I return to work..Or if I crash my car driving mach 1 to get to your wife's call for help, cause someone is crawling through your bedroom window and your on a business trip....etc, etc. etc..I could go on forever..I take more risk at work in an hour than you do in a year...Cause I don't get to dictate what takes place when I go to work..I'm at the mercy of crack heads and bad ass convicts that know I am the only thing standing between them and their freedom..And they are willing to shot, cut, kick, and bite their way past me...When was the last time your computer went ape shit on you ass...We are excepting applications PLEASE COME WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES...
Time for reality. We are defending the Alamo. Accept it. These are the facts. The lunatics at the top think the Police Department has CUSTOMERS. The stupidity of that statement speaks for itself.
The Politicians and too many of the citizens think the perps are victims and the Police are bad. Politicians say they want to run the county like a business but ignore rule number one. When you are in a hole, STOP DIGGING ! The county installed time clocks and put in pay for performance; as if the county was a business. This makes it nearly impossible to top out and transfers power from the command staff to Decatur. It also has the unintended consequence of forcing Officers to concentrate on quantity over quality. Next they eliminated all raises except promotional; said they were broke. But they were still hiring. Then they fur-lowed our pay while still hiring. Next (probably after fear of a labor lawsuit) they let us stay home on our fur-low days. (How generous.) But they were still hiring. The only way left to get a raise, get promoted. Now that has been cut in half. But they are still hiring. Currently rumors abound about changing accrued sick and annual time. And they are still hiring!
No business person with any grip on reality keeps hiring when you can't pay the workers you have.
Another ticket fur-low? Come on. First off, they don't work! You only make YOUR problems worse by giving them a legitimate grievance against Police Officers. Also, if you want the public to support us you don't do it with the slogan “Support your local Police and we will start writing tickets again.” And if you think you can stop writing tickets and they won't replace you with a 2.00 rookie who will, I've got some pixie dust for you. Remember, they are STILL hiring.
Chief O'Brien is an honorable man. The politicians will beat him down with a thousand cuts if they can. They like crapping on the Police.
There is a way out. Do you want to fight and have a chance at saving this department, or fold and run away.
Harry Callahan
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