Highlights from Retreat and Bargaining Training

SCSO members participated in two important activities in March and April. First, Joe D. (NY) delivered an excellent session on bargaining training. Discussions included table protocols and an exercise on how to establish bargaining priorities. In April, union members spent an entire day with Steve (Illinois) in general union training. This was a day long, intense session that focused on the history and meaning of the NLRA and certain articles in our contract. A question to the group about the vision of SCSO and what a powerful union would look like opened a discussion about association weaknesses that impede success. Transparency, accountability, competency, respect, and deviation from established governance/staff protocols were discussed. A discussion about staff/governance relationships revealed serious concerns.