News from NYSTPBA President Tom Mungeer 10/22/2021
NYSTPBA Newsletter News from NYSTPBA President Tom Mungeer In Memoriam This week our collective thoughts and prayers are offered to the family, friends and co-workers of: Iowa Trooper Ted Benda, 37, who succumbed to injuries on Oct. 20, 2021 after sustaining injuries last week when he was involved in a single-vehicle crash responding to assist deputies from the Clayton County Sheriff's Office with a wanted subject. Trooper Benda had served with the Iowa State Patrol for five years and had previously served with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation for 11 years. He is survived by his wife, four children, parents, and siblings. Pennsylvania State Trooper Dung X. Martinez, 57, who died on Oct. 21, 2021 due to an exposure to COVID-19 while on duty. Trooper Martinez enlisted in the Pennsylvania State Police in April 2000. He was assigned to Troop T, King of Prussia at the time of his death. Vaccination Update Pages and pages of weekly testing protocols have been released over the past two weeks but despite this, and the fact that they seem inwardly contradictory, the overall process remains pretty simple as a result of negotiations on the changes to the terms and conditions of our employment.
A Trooper is not mandated to get a vaccination.
If he or she chooses not to get vaccinated then they would have to get tested weekly.
The state will pay for the self-administered test including all shipping. A quick note – the state’s vendor selection and bidding process is not subject to collective bargaining.
The test can be administered at home OR on-duty. I have assurances from GOER that it is acceptable for a Trooper to perform the self-test in the comfort of our respective locker rooms across the state.
I have reiterated many times that although I am not personally against the COVID vaccine, I am opposed to COVID vaccination mandates. With that in mind, I believe that the aforementioned favorable terms for weekly testing that we collectively bargained will serve us well for any internal challenges against any future vaccine mandate. Vaccination News from Around the Country New York City – The lame duck mayor who has gubernatorial aspirations shoved a mandate down the throats of his workforce this week to either get vaccinated by the end of the month or lose their paychecks. Washington State Police – This week 74 Washington State Troopers (67 Troopers, six sergeants, one captain) were fired for not submitting to mandatory vaccinations. Chicago Police Dept. – The illustrious mayor of Chicago threatened to withhold the retirement benefits of any police officers who opt to retire rather than receive the mandatory vaccination by Oct. 29. Thus far, it appears that the force may lose a third of its manpower because of the mandate. In addition, the city was successful in having a judge issue a temporary restraining order banning the union president from using social media to discourage members from reporting their vaccination status to the city. Massachusetts State Police - As the newly elected Chairman of the National Troopers Coalition, I was proud to stand with Troopers from around the country who traveled to Boston to support the men and women of the Massachusetts State Police against their governor’s short-sighted vaccination mandate. My message to that administration was simple: We’re not anti-vaccination. We’re pro-collective bargaining. Besides State Police Association of Massachusetts President Mike Cherven, I have spoken to the leadership of the Washington State Police Association as well as the respective New York City Police unions and they all unanimously agree that they simply want what the New York State Police has acquired through the NYSTPBA – the ability to sit down and negotiate a weekly testing policy in lieu of a vaccination mandate. Thomas Mungeer, a trooper with the New York State Police who joined [SPAM President Michael] Cherven at the press conference, urged Governor Baker to adopt a different position with regard to the state mandate. “In New York, we have ‘you either get vaccinated or you get weekly tested,’” he said. “And we sat down and we negotiated that out.” https://www.boston25news.com/news/health/union-hundreds-state-police-officers-exemption-limbo/5QAWSG3RB5G43IP2SFDRFQL4EU/ Signal 30 Event a Huge Success This week’s Western New York Signal 30 Dinner held in Rochester was attended by 400 people and raised nearly $250,000 for the charity. I want to thank the S30 board members and donors who have continuously made our charity the premier one. I would also like to thank our special honorees: Medal of Honor recipient David Bellavia, Buffalo Bills legend Steve Tasker and retired Staff Inspector and Assemblyman Peter Lawrence, who is currently battling ALS. I would also like to thank Hall of Famer Jim Kelly for being present and lending his support to the event. Give Me a F*#king Break Andrew Cuomo’s attorney was at it again this week, stating that the A.G. report was so politically motivated it ‘disenfranchised’ millions of New Yorkers who voted for him. "Because of the glaring deficiencies and flaws in that report, which extraordinarily prejudiced the governor, ousted him from office, overturned an election and disenfranchised the votes of 3.6 million New Yorkers, it has to be corrected," she said. I would not argue that many of the actions of our attorney general are extremely politically motivated; however, if my memory serves me correctly, the former governor VOLUNTARILY resigned - mostly as a result of it being revealed that he acted inappropriately with a State Police member on his detail. I said good day! Quote of the Week New York State Democratic Committee Chair Jay Jacobs, using an analogy when explaining why he felt there should be no obligation to endorse Democratic Socialist India Walton for mayor of Buffalo, despite the fact that she won the party's primary. ‘Let's take a scenario, very different, where David Duke — you remember him, the Grand Wizard of the KKK — he moves to New York, he becomes a Democrat, he runs for mayor in the city of Rochester, which is a low primary turnout and he wins the Democratic line. I have to endorse David Duke? I don't think so," Jacobs told Spectrum News Monday. "Now, of course, Indian Walton is not in the same category, but it just, it just leads you to that question: Is it a must? It's not a must.’" Sometimes these moments are too precious for me to make even one simple smartass comment. I will say that based largely on a request from the Buffalo PBA, the NYSTPBA is fully endorsing Mayor Byron Brown’s write-in campaign. Some Good News for a Change SCOTUS - I am pleased to report that the United States Supreme Court issued two favorable decisions on Oct. 18, 2021 that reaffirmed qualified immunity for police officers in excessive force cases. Ithaca – In light of the skyrocketing crime rate in that city, a work group created in March has decided not to recommend the abolishment of the Ithaca Police Department and further urged the reversal of Mayor Svante Myrick's Public Safety Budget cuts and a rebuke of his anti-police rhetoric. Fast Times - Not so fast there, Jeff Spicoli The New York State Department of Labor issued new guidance Tuesday that bans employers in the state from testing employees for cannabis unless the worker seems visibly impaired while at work. Under federal law, since marihuana is still a prohibitive drug, someone cannot own or possess a firearm if they are a user. I believe we will not be seeing any changes to the Rules & Regs anytime soon. Retiree Job Opportunity This comes from my friend, former longtime NYC Detectives Endowment Association President Mike Palladino, now with Brosnan Risk Consultants, LLC. Position: Director of Security Salary: $70,000 annually Benefits: 401K and health benefits Location: Parkside Commons Housing Complex in Syracuse, NY Owner: Related Properties Shifts: Day shifts unless a special event dictates differently Staffing: Currently the security is performed by off-duty Syracuse Police Officers under the supervision of a Syracuse Police Captain and Lieutenant. Duties: The Director will oversee all security operations on site. Act as a liaison between the Syracuse Police and the property management. Assure that tours and posts are being filled daily. The Director won't have to supervise the Syracuse PD since there is a Captain and Lieutenant on site. If interested please contact Mike at: m.palladino@brosnanrisk.com or cell# 646-423-3901. A Note to Someone Special “Not chess, Mr. Spock. Poker.” (Star Trek, 1966, Season 1 Episode 10) Here’s your Star Trek quote. However, you probably won’t understand it since your game of choice appears to be checkers - that is, when you’re not locked in your room behind a keyboard punching the clown. Have a good weekend! This email is an automated notification, which is unable to receive replies. To send a comment to the NYSTPBA, please contact us at nystpba@nystpba.org.
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