Upstart union vies for police support

Keith Paul

Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2001 | 11:24 a.m.

A competing police union is preparing to challenge Metro Police officers' union for the right to represent street cops and jail guards.

Organizers of the newly formed Las Vegas Law Enforcement Association are collecting signatures to represent officers for collective bargaining with the department instead of the Police Protective Association.

The battle over the union has been simmering for months since members failed in an attempt to remove the PPA president. Now the struggle appears to be heating up again, as some former union leaders who formed the new association continue to gain signatures on a petition that could lead to an attempt to decertify the PPA.

The new group has about 900 officers' signatures but needs about 100 more before trying to take over as the union for rank-and-file officers, said Officer John Yacek, a former member of the PPA and one of the founders of the LVLEA.

The rift began with Metro concerns over the health insurance fund in May 1999, when the cash reserves dwindled from $3 million to less than $100,000. Metro paid for an audit of the union's health plan, which showed that while there was no wrongdoing, the long-term financial health of the plan could be in jeopardy if revenue is not increased.

The $17 million-a-year plan covers about 8,000 people including most Metro officers, North Las Vegas officers and some other police and civilians.

Metro Comptroller Lois Willis has said the long-term stability of the plan worries her department. If the plan -- funded mostly through taxpayer money -- falls apart, taxpayers would be on the hook for a bailout.

Dan Holley in April, while he was PPA vice president, tried to remove Anderson as president, citing concerns over the health insurance and alleging the union was overpaying for the administration of the insurance. The move failed, and Anderson removed Holley and board member Sgt. Toby Maldonado, both his appointees.

Since the failed attempt to remove Anderson, about 500 officers have quit the union, but their health insurance is still provided through the union's plan. Maldonado, Holley and other board members who resigned began the new association.

About two months ago they started to collect signatures to allow the new association be the collective bargaining voice for the officers.

Anderson doesn't doubt the new group has a list of signatures, but he questions the legitimacy of those signatures.

"I think I would question how they got people to sign something," Anderson said. "We'll have our day in court."

The court is actually the Local Government Employee Management Relations Board. The process to remove the PPA as the collective bargaining group for the officers is set in state law, said Shari Thomas, commissioner for the three-member board.

The signature of a majority of officers is needed to start the process, which is similar to a recall. The petition would then be given to Metro administration officials, who would have five days to file it with the Employee Management Relations Board. The board then would hold hearings, Thomas said.

Metro's administration is staying out of the union power struggle. Officials say they will bargain with whichever group is the recognized union. The contract for officers is up on June 30. Negotiations normally start a couple of months before the end of the contract.

"We, by law, cannot interfere or try to influence actions of the union, so it would be inappropriate for me to make comments that may appear to be influencing or interfering," Undersheriff Richard Winget said.

The months-long battle has been played out, to some degree, in the public arena. Maldonado and others have been vocal critics of the health insurance plan and the plan's administrators Managed Care Consultants.

"Our biggest complaint is the (PPA) leadership never explored options (in management companies for the health insurance) and never put it out to bid," Maldonado said. "Taxpayers should be concerned about this since it is tax money that would have to be used if the health insurance plan goes under."

Some of that vocal criticism has led to the union health insurance administrators -- Managed Care Consultants -- to sue Holley, Maldonado, Yacek and Officer Russell Wood. The suit claims the officers have made false statements about the company and the contract to administer the insurance.

"We don't want to stop their First Amendment rights, but at the same time they can't say so-and-so is a liar or MCC doesn't return phone calls when those statements are not true," company attorney Robert Massi said. "We have phone logs showing return calls and other evidence proving some of their statements are false."

Maldonado said he thinks the suit has no merit.

The two sides have a court hearing today in Clark County District Court.