A leopard does not suddenly change its spots and CSLEA knows  that.   After six years of bad-mouthing the non-sworn members of Unit 7, Peace Officers of California (POC) did not suddenly have a change of heart. POC has repeatedly contended that the non-sworn have been holding the Unit 7 peace officers back and have enjoyed pay and benefit increases that have cut into what is rightfully due to the sworn members of the unit.

The disdain with which many of the POC supporters hold toward the non-sworn was exemplified by the testimony of POC Treasurer Scott Edelen during the hearings before the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) on the failed severance petition. On January 30, 2009, Edelen, a sworn investigator for the Department of Insurance testified as follows when asked about working alongside the non-sworn DOI insurance investigators:

To his credit, Edelen was recently candid about POC’s intent to use the Unit 7 non-sworn only for as long as it takes for a decertification effort to be successful. In an email dated June 24, 2013, he admits POC’s true intent:

            “We are taking the non-sworn with us in the decertification. They do not deserve this forced     representation either. We will form different Local affiliates under the umbrella of BU7. So get             your non-sworn investigators you know to sign petitions too.”    (Emphasis added)

Why would POC want the Unit 7 non-sworn members to assist the peace officers in the decertification campaign but see fit to “place them” in another AFSCME local?  Hmmm.   Perhaps it is because this campaign is not really a decertification effort but another severance attempt in the guise of a decert.

Do not forget  that during the  last legislative session  POC/AFSCME authored, and CSLEA killed,  a bill that would have gutted the PERB process and made it easy to sever bargaining units by a simple petition. 

If you are a non-sworn member of Unit 7 are you feeling mislead and used by POC/AFCSME?