Welcome back, Local 119
With State PBA support and a commitment to benevolence,
Lawrence Township Local wins back collective bargaining representation
n BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
When the good-and-welfare portion of the Dec. 4 NJ State
PBA meeting came, Lawrence Township Local 119 State Dele-
gate Chris DiMeglio stepped up to make a much-anticipated
announcement. Following nine years of tumultuous and divi-
sive activity that included the State PBA stepping in to provide
some rescue assistance, Local 119 had won its PERC election
and regained collective bargaining representation from the FOP.
DiMeglio, however, had some new business to attend to be-
fore getting on to the news.
“I want to let Ewing Township, Mercer County Sheriff’s and
many of the other Locals in Mercer County know that I owe you
a bunch of dinners,” DiMeglio announced. “Thank you for all
your help in getting Local 119 back to being the collective bar-
gaining rep for Lawrence Township.”
Of course, a massive ovation ensued. But here was a state-
ment on how far Local 119 had come during the past nearly 10
years. And how far it had to come.
When bargaining rights went to the FOP in 2009, member-
ship for a Local that has been around for 63 years had dwindled
to less than 10 members. DiMeglio had taken over as State Dele-
gate, and there was no money in the coffer. As he attended PBA
conventions and events to learn how to bring the Local back,
Ewing Township Local 111, Mercer County Sheriff’s Officers
Local 187 and other Locals repeatedly invited DiMeglio to join
them for dinner and mentor him to help Local 119 complete its
historic turnaround.
“When there was the divide, there were a lot of us who didn’t
think abandoning the PBA was the answer,” DiMeglio related
when looking back on the adventure. “We always felt the PBA
in the state of New Jersey was the right way to go. The FOP bills
itself as a national organization, but how does their ability to do
stuff in Kentucky help me in New Jersey? The PBA is the main
dog in this state.”
Back in 2009, Local 119 experienced some struggles with in-
ternal leadership. Even though an election offering a chance
to vote in new leadership was around the corner, some of the
members “took their ball and went to another court,” DiMeglio
commented.
The State PBA heard what was transpiring at the time, includ-
ing word that the FOP might be trying to take control of the trea-
sury.
“The Local came to us and advised of what was going on,” re-
counted PBA Special Projects Coordinator John Hulse, who was
the second vice president at the time. “We stepped in, locked
down their accounts and worked with the leadership to contin-
ue to administer the Local. We believed this had nothing to do
with union leadership but supervisors trying impose their will
to run the union.”
By 2014, Local 119 was down to six members when DiMeglio
took over as State Delegate and Andres Mejia became president.
The previous delegate dropped a couple of folders on DiMeg-
lio’s desk with minimal information about the Local and the
comeback started there.
DiMeglio and Mejia reached out to Local 111 State Delegate
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NEW JERSEY COPS
■ DECEMBER 2018
Mike Pellegrino, the Mercer County Conference Chair, and Lo-
cal 187 State Delegate Pat Papero for ideas about how to bring
Local 119 back. The journey began with fundraising events.
Local 119 scheduled a flag football game against a local fire
department as one event. The members who played in that
game came together to do a Toys for Tots fundraiser. More par-
ticipation came for a casino night fundraiser.
“We built our name back up to respectability,” DiMeglio not-
ed. “Even when we were struggling, we never stopped being a
benevolent organization. Once we started doing the fundrais-
ers and getting more involvement, guys started flooding back.
We finally got enough back and with a new contract negotiation
coming, the time was right to go through the PERC process.”
In preparation for the PERC election, Local 119 leaders and
their attorneys made some presentations about the PBA prow-
ess to members, especially some of the younger ones and new
officers just about to finish at the academy. They accentuated
the Legal Protection Plan, which was far more extensive and less
expensive than the other union, and the vast collective bargain-
ing resources and expertise.
At the same time, they learned that the FOP was planning on
raising dues to make ends meet. New Local 119 President Marc
Caponi had served as treasurer of the FOP lodge and was able to
confirm the financial issues that arose.
So when the tallying of the ballots for the PERC election came
on Nov. 14, DiMeglio indicated that he felt very confident about
the outcome. Pellegrino had been calling every day to reassure
that the outcome would be successful.
When it was, DiMeglio felt like buying dinner for the entire
PBA. For his efforts, he was honored with the Mercer County
Conference Dedicated Service Award at its holiday party. And
there was a celebration of how far Local 119 had come.
“It’s been a long way, and I’m glad we’re back,” DiMeglio add-
ed. “Our goal has not just been to get the PBA back but to really
unify our department and eventually have everybody come to-
gether as one again.”