We would like to thank the American Public Servants’ Association (APSA) for holding a virtual information session on November 30, 2022 about workers’ rights, union alternatives, and practically how NYS Parole Officers could join the New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA).
According to APSA, the best way for Parole Officers to join NYSCOPBA would be for us to petition the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) to fragment our current bargaining unit, “Professional, Scientific & Technical Unit” (PS&T), and create a new bargaining unit just for Parole Officers.
Here's the thing: there's a pretty high bar for Parole Officers to justify to PERB (https://perb.ny.gov) that we should fragment -- there needs to be a clear reason that PEF and our current bargaining unit (PS&T) aren’t serving our best interests, and that getting a separate bargaining unit would help Parole Officers get their needs met.
A clear reason could be what PERB calls "a unique professional community", or, that within PEF there is a conflict of interest that's preventing Parole Officers from getting their needs met. If PERB approves the request for fragmentation, then Parole Officers could vote to authorize NYSCOPBA as their union.
APSA is willing to assist Parole Officers in obtaining free legal services for fragmentation, but there needs to be a strong show of support amongst Parole Officers. This petition in addition to Parole Officers opting out of PEF shows a strong show of support for fragmentation to PERB.
In 2004, a group of Parole Officers known as the New York State Parole Officers Benevolent Association tried to fragment from PEF without success. Unfortunately, they did not have the option to opt-opt from PEF like we do today.
For more information about the New York State Parole Officers Benevolent Association’s PERB fragmentation petition (Case No. C-5441), please click on the link below.
In solidarity,
New York State Parole Officers