The Harford County Deputy Sheriff's Union thinks the time for collective bargaining has come, though few police officers in Maryland have such union representation, and is working to get enough signatures on a petition that would put a charter amendment before the voters in the November election.
The effort is aimed at better pay and better benefits.
The Harford County Deputy Sheriff's Union, which is affiliated with the International Association of Police Unions, has about 300 members on the law enforcement side of the Sheriff's Office, but it does not have a contract with the county regarding pay, employment benefits and retirement benefits for deputies.
The union is seeking collective bargaining with binding arbitration.
"There is no such thing as a contract right now with the county," Mike Montalvo, who became the union president June 30, taking over from Fred Visnaw, said. "Ultimately, that's what we would be looking for down the road with regard to workplace issues with the county."
Montalvo said the union could negotiate with the sheriff regarding workplace conditions, but the sheriff does not have control over the budget regarding pay or benefits – that is under the county government's purview.
Officials with the Deputy Sheriff's Union want to get the charter amendment on the November ballot.
To do that, they need at least 10,000 signatures by Aug. 8.
"We have a lot of petitions out and a lot of members and people within the community supporting us and trying to get signatures for us," Montalvo said.
Volunteers were among the crowds during recent Independence Day events in Bel Air, Havre de Grace and Joppa. Montalvo said people have been "very willing to sign" petitions.
The Sheriff's Office has nearly 600 employees.
Corrections officers have their own union, the Harford County Correctional Association, which has about 100 members, according to Montalvo – the deputies' union is seeking collective bargaining for corrections officers as well as employees on the law enforcement side.
"The relationship between the Harford County Sheriff's Office and the labor organization representing the sworn members of the office remains mutually beneficial with an open line of communications pertaining to working conditions," Kyle Andersen, a spokesperson for the Sheriff's Office, wrote in an email.
Andersen noted the sheriff "has always maintained a positive labor-management relationship."
Legitimate signatures are from Harford County residents and registered Harford voters, said Kevin Keene, director of the Harford County Board of Elections.
Elections staff will verify the signatures, and Keene said he recommends people holding a petition drive get more than the required number of signatures since "a significant number get knocked out to meet the requirements."
"We would recommend they get about 15,000," Keene said regarding the deputies' union.
Montalvo said people seeking signatures for the charter amendment have forms with the language approved by the Board of Elections.
The Harford County attorney recently informed the deputies' union, plus the union's attorney, that "enabling legislation" at the state level is necessary before the charter amendment, to establish collective bargaining, according to Cindy Mumby, spokesperson for the county government.
Harford County's legislative delegation must introduce that legislation during next year's Maryland General Assembly session in Annapolis, according to Mumby. The session starts in January.
Montalvo said the union's attorney looked into the matter and does not feel state legislation is necessary.
"What we're trying to change is the county charter," he said Tuesday.
Wicomico County deputies obtained their collective bargaining rights through a charter amendment approved by voters in 2006, Montalvo noted.
Collective bargaining means equitable pay scale
Harford County Executive Barry Glassman's fiscal 2017 budget includes 3 percent merit raises for all eligible county employees, plus increases of up to 9 percent for Sheriff's Office personnel.
Montalvo noted Sheriff's Office employees have not had a raise, either a cost of living allowance or steps on the salary scale, since fiscal 2008.
"Surrounding jurisdictions have recovered from the recession and are compensating their employees," he said.
While most deputies will make more money this year, the salary increases could cause long-term problems with the agency's pay scale, based on how they are spread among the ranks, according to Montalvo.
"What the 9 percent increase did is, it compressed our pay scale so much that the difference between DFCs (deputies first class) and their supervisors is so small that it takes away the incentive to promote, and it did nothing to repair our pay scale that's been stagnant for 10 years," Montalvo said. "In fact, it made it worse."
Anyone below the rank of deputy first class is not eligible for the 3 percent merit increase because they are probationary employees.
The largest increase, 9 percent, goes to the next two ranks, deputy first class and senior DFC, according to Montalvo.
Corporals, the first line of supervisors, get 6 percent, and sergeants, lieutenants and captains only get the 3 percent merit increase.
"We're not trying to do [collective bargaining] in response to the budget that just came out," Montalvo, a sergeant who has spent 12 years with the Sheriff's Office, said. "This is something that we need going forward to ensure that the deputies are treated fairly."
He said the union does not typically negotiate pay raises as the county executive prepares the annual budget, but leaders tell the executive what they need in the next fiscal year. They find out if their request was granted when the budget is released.
"The hope with collective bargaining and binding arbitration is that we can sit down, have a seat at the table and negotiate these things out, so going forward the pay and benefits are fair and equitable," Montalvo said.
Jason Neidig, an Aberdeen Police officer and president of Lodge 128 of the Fraternal Order of Police, expressed his support for the deputies' union efforts.
"While officers chose the law enforcement profession, they expect to be treated fairly and have a voice in their working conditions and benefits," Neidig wrote in an email.
Lodge 128 has more than 80 members who are active and retired officers from the Aberdeen, Bel Air and Havre de Grace police departments.
The lodge, however, does not have collective bargaining rights. A 2005 referendum in Aberdeen failed by 100 votes, Neidig said.
He noted police unions in other communities in Maryland do have collective bargaining and arbitration with their local governments – he said collective bargaining for Ocean City officers was approved by referendum, and Laurel's police union obtained it in 2014 by action of the mayor and city council.
"I hope the citizens (and elected officials) of Harford County do what is right, for the right reasons," Neidig wrote. "These men and women are there for the citizens when needed, I hope the citizens are there for them."