To the editor:
The New England Police Benevolent Association, who represents the City of Caribou Police Officers, and Teamsters Local 340, who represents The Caribou Fire Department, have each filed for mediation concerning separate issues.
The New England Police Benevolent Association maintains that the City of Caribou has a historically poor record of competitive wages and benefits, which has resulted in a proven inability to retain full-time officers. The union based its facts on a less than competitive salary and wage scale with the same size cities and towns in a comparable universe, as well as the City of Caribou’s dwindling benefits over the last several contracts.
Moreover, the New England PBA calls into question the validity and necessity of reducing staffing levels to dangerously and seriously unsafe levels with officers at times being forced to work 16-hour shifts. New England PBA President Marty Conway stated, “The liability concerns regarding officer safety and the protection of the general public is of paramount concern to the men and women of the Caribou Police Department; but unfortunately the City of Caribou doesn’t share or care about these issues.”
According to the 2014 census, Caribou is a city of approximately 7,871 people with an opiate drug epidemic that is spiraling out of control. According to FBI statistics, homicide, domestic assaults, and violent crimes are on the rise in Maine. While other communities throughout the state, and within close proximity to the City of Caribou have taken a progressive approach to crime and gun violence, this City Council has turned a blind eye to the dangers associated with police officer safety.
City Manager Austin Bleess stated in his letter to the City Council dated Oct. 15, 2015, in regards to the upcoming budget meeting for 2016:
“Adjustments to salaries to keep wages paid by the city in line with our peer communities is not happening this year. The City will continue to slip further behind in keeping staff paid at a level that is close to their peers in other communities, including within the County. This is for union and non-union employees alike. The amount of turnover we have seen in the past 12-18 months has been higher than the historical average. That can, at least partially, be attributed to the fact people can earn higher wages elsewhere. As a best practice, a wage and classification study should be done every two years.”
New England PBA Executive Director Jerry Flynn stated, “The citizens and the taxpayers of the City of Caribou are grossly unprotected and extremely vulnerable as a result of the city’s unwillingness to support their police officers and the lack of public safety resources. It is reprehensible that in this day and age with the global war on terror and the proximity to our nation’s border that the City of Caribou is unwilling to give these brave men and women the manpower and the resources needed to complete their mission.”
In an effort to curtail overtime costs and to adequately protect the citizens of the City of Caribou, the union has proposed a scheduled 42-hour work week with a 12-hour work day, which was an increase from the current 40-hour work week and an 8-hour work day. This schedule would have eliminated most of the short staffing on shifts and wiped out a substantial amount of overtime.
In addition, the City of Caribou is proposing to eliminate benefits such as the sick bank and the vacation banks for both fire and police without any compromise. With the city’s proposal change it would continue the City of Caribou’s historically poor record of competitive wages and benefits, which results in even more of an inability to retain or hire full time officers to protect the citizens of Caribou.
Although the concession of the 12-hour shift alone would have generated several thousand dollars in savings for the city, it was flatly rejected; thus the city will continue to frivolously spend money on overtime instead of working toward a compromise. The highly trained and professional police officers who make up the Caribou Police Department remain diligent in their duties and stand ready, willing and able to work together to make this community safe for its citizens and their families; but they respectfully request the same of this City Council with respect to their safety and concerns.
The Union believes the cost effect measures prescribed and a competitive wage are well within the guise of a reasonable compromise and we believe in time, so will a neutral party.
In closing, the New England PBA enthusiastically supports our members in order to adequately protect the citizens they are sworn to protect and serve. We would hope the Caribou City Council would do the same.
