FREEMAN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 19
file an unfair labor practice charge against the employer.
We then went to meet with a small PBA Local’s negotiat-
ing committee and the attorneys representing the employer.
The meeting was brief, with a simple exchange of proposals
for a successor agreement. The Local is so small that they
can’t afford to hire an attorney, so George assisted them in
preparing the proposal. He left a spreadsheet showing the
full cost of the proposal to me. I presented it and also chal-
lenged the attorney’s cost analysis of their proposal, which I
immediately recognized as lacking in basis. The challenge is
clear and my competitive spirit craves this type of encoun-
ter. Hopefully we will be able to conclude negotiations with
a fair agreement, which the members of the Local deserve.
At this point, Carter was stone-faced but my enthusiasm was
growing.
The final phase of my training involved a trip to Trenton
for a ballot count at PERC. A PBA Local challenged the oth-
er union that was serving as the majority representative of
the bargaining unit. George had previously worked with the
Local leadership to garner the appropriate show of interest
(at least 30 percent of the bargaining unit). Once secured, he
filed a Petition for Certification by Election with PERC. The
ballots were sent to the members of that unit and it was time
for the final count to determine if the PBA would take over as
majority representative. As each ballot was verified and an-
nounced I kept a running tally. We took an initial lead before
they staged a comeback with several ballots in a row. The
back and forth continued until all 48 ballots were counted
20
NEW JERSEY COPS
■ AUGUST 2018
and we emerged victorious. It was like an NBA champion-
ship game and I was exhilarated. It wasn’t just the “win;” it
was the prize that this Local would soon be able to give to
every member of its unit in the NJ State PBA — an organi-
zation that supports more than 33,000 members of the law
enforcement community.
My wife, Tara, could hear the excitement in my voice but
she correctly assumed that I had lost my intended audience.
As I concluded with Carter, I explained to him that I have
been given the honor of serving and protecting the women
and men who protect and serve the State of NJ, only now I
don’t have to get out of bed to answer calls reporting death
and destruction. His response…“Great, what’s for dinner?”
The next day, I told Pat that I would be happy to take the job.
His response: “Great, let’s go to lunch.”
George was right — I do love this job. If you can get past
my dashing good looks, extensive wardrobe, gregarious per-
sonality and fading yet all-around, varsity-level athleticism,
you’ll see that I’m a nerd from the ’80s who believes a spread-
sheet is the greatest tool invented since Channellock pliers. I
would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank George
for having the confidence in choosing me to succeed him. I
couldn’t possibly replace George or what he has done for this
organization, but I do intend to follow his lead and continue
to provide guidance and research to any and all NJ State PBA
Locals. Everyone in the office has been great to work with
and I am happy to be a part of this team. If you are in need of
anything labor-related, please do not hesitate to call or email
me at the state office. If I don’t have an answer right away, I
certainly know where to find it. d