Mount Hope Police Join Teamsters

     In a unanimous vote recently, the 22 members of the Mount Hope Police Department chose Teamsters Local 445 to negotiate and enforce their contract.

     They join our other law enforcement Police Benevolent Association Teamsters in Chester, Walden, and Greenwood Lake.

    “We are honored to welcome these new members,” said Teamsters Local 445 Secretary-Treasurer Principal Officer Adrian Huff. “We pledge to do our best to convince the politicians and the taxpayers that these dedicated professionals deserve a better deal.”

     Presently the Mount Hope police have a starting wage of $15 per hour. Their benefits and other contractual protections are well below the regional average for law enforcement professionals.

      “Every time a policeman approaches a car with a broken headlight, he or she risks their lives and their careers,” said Brother Huff. He urged all union members who live in Mount Hope, Chester, Greenwood Lake and Walden to support local grassroots efforts to improve police contracts, especially by attending municipal meetings when called upon.

     “Our diversity is our strength,” said Brother Huff, speaking of the various professions our union represents.  “Our adversaries know that our union’s influence derives from the fact that we represent a broad range of people within our communities: health care professionals, truck and bus drivers, public employees, industrial, freight and warehouse workers, police and many others. We have strong alliances with other unions in our region, which adds to our collective power. This gives us the strength we need to gain better contracts for all of our members.” 

     Various Teamster locals throughout the country represent over 10,000 law enforcement units at this time. Besides the great political and legal protection the Teamsters offer, the International Teamsters led by General President James P. Hoffa has created a unique, low-cost insurance program that provides legal representation to law enforcement members who use their weapons off-duty or who are otherwise at risk of civil actions in the course of their jobs as well as off-the-job, or on second jobs. 

     The organizing drive was conducted by Director of Organizing Jerry Ebert and Organizer Jack Sullivan, with much help from law enforcement Teamster Marc Miller and Mount Hope PBA leader Jose Serrano.

     Our union has won 34 of the last 36 organizing elections it has faced in the past five years, adding nearly 1500 new members. We also have organized many new construction companies that have provided work for our Construction Division members (see related story, page 2).

     If you are a non-union employee considering gaining the right to negotiate a contract, think about this: if police choose our union, maybe you too should ask us for help.

     Call Jerry on our 24-hour organizing hotline: 845-857-4768.