SACRAMENTO – Essential state employees who are required to work from their office or field settings during the COVID-19 pandemic are coming to realize just how important it is to have union site representatives in place to voice workplace concerns to.

“Site representatives go through training sessions with California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) attorneys and are recognized by their department managers as employees appointed by CSLEA to begin discussions when conflicts arise in the workplace,” said CSLEA Senior Counsel Andrea Perez.  “Our site representatives are generous, caring role models who spend their own personal time learning the do’s and don’ts of solving issues, how to approach management and when to notify us.  The earlier we can get involved in rectifying situations, typically, the better the outcome.”

With the recent death of CHP Public Safety Dispatcher and CHP-PSDA Director Brandi Palmowski, a valued site representative at the CHP Inland Division Communications Center, three public safety dispatchers have recognized the void in leadership and employee representation at their worksite, and have volunteered to become site representatives in their center.

During the month of May, CSLEA Senior Counsel Perez conducted site representation training via teleconference with each of the volunteers.

“With dispatchers working different hours and different days it was necessary to conduct three separate basic site representation training sessions, giving each of them one on one time with me,” said Perez.  “It was great getting to know each of them and to teach them about CSLEA, when and how the union and its site representatives step in, and their soon to be new roles as problem solvers for their co-workers.”

CSLEA and CHP-PSDA would like to thank Public Safety Dispatcher Sakeena Mosley for being the first to volunteer to pick up where Brandi left off as Inland Valley’s site representative.

“Being a site representative is not always an easy task as one must be available for fellow dispatchers and navigate workplace situations with management.   This requires hours of training, which Sakeena began on May 6^th,” said Perez.

On May 19^th and 26^th, Public Safety Dispatchers Laura Smart and Desiree Sandoval began their basic site representations training.

“These dispatchers have worked 12 and 13 years at CHP and became inspired to step up after Brandi’s passing because they recognized how dedicated Brandi was and now realize she didn’t have any backup.  These individuals want to make sure their communications center has enough people willing to be reps to make sure there is equal representation and no one is overwhelmed,” said Perez.   “We look forward to working closely with them and thank them for their service and dedication.”

“Thank you to Sakeena, Laura and Desiree for volunteering for this very important job,” said CHP-PSDA President Tina Brazil.  “I think you’ll find this work assisting your co-workers and communicating with supervisors on their behalf very rewarding.”