DSP 11-9 Update

I wanted to send this update on Friday, but I was frustrated enough that a few words probably would have made it in that didn’t belong. I think both the State and the mediator could see how frustrated I was.

I wish I had a more positive report. I left our last mediation session cautiously optimistic, but on Friday, November 6, the Division spent about five minutes in the room with our bargaining team. In our view, that shows how little interest the State has in bargaining in good faith.

Members have told us what needs to change. With staffing approximately 45 percent below where it should be, DSP civilians and 911 dispatchers are routinely overworked. The State insists that’s absolutely not the case. DHR bears responsibility for compensation, and when we bring the Division proposals to improve working conditions, we keep hearing the same answer: “That’s not a problem.”

Our next mediation session is Wednesday, December 2. Prior commitments and the holidays made that the earliest we could reconvene. The State is holding up progress, and your union will keep pressing for the changes you’ve told us you need.

Thank you to our bargaining team for standing strong and staying committed to seeing this through.