The Sun Sunnyvale's Newspaper Secret vote of confidence indicates strife between cops, police chief PSOA decides to keep results under wraps By Justin Berton During the holiday season more than 200 members of the Sunnyvale Public Safety Officers Association received cards of a different kind in their mailboxes: ones that asked for a secret vote of confidence on police chief Regan Williams and his ranking commanders. The ballots have been collected and the results are in, but the outcome is being kept quiet, union president Kelly Fitzgerald said. "The executive board of the union has chosen to deal with issues internally, in an effort to work together and move forward," he said. Fitzgerald, who confirmed the secret ballot only after sources in the department broke the silence, said the results have been discussed with Williams and his administration. A vote of "no confidence" by the union is used largely to show its disappointment with the ranking administrators and forces no formal punishment or action against Williams. A vote of confidence in the chief and his staff would show root support for the leadership of the department. While Williams acknowledged that the vote--regardless of the outcome--indicates contention between officers and their leaders, he declined to surmise why his department might take such action. "I'll try not to personalize it," Williams said. "I'd like to identify the problems and seek resolutions." In severe cases, a vote of no confidence will lead to a call for resignation. Fitzgerald declined to comment on any other actions that may follow. Williams was also curious as to what would come next. "I don't know what they're going to do with it," Williams said. "It was their vote." One public safety officer who voted "no confidence" spoke on the condition that he remain unidentified for fear of retribution for breaking with the union's silence on the action, and for fear of being singled out by department heads. "The guys are very much behind this [no confidence]," the officer said. "The guys like the chief, they like Regan as a person. But as a chief, as a leader for the rank and file, he's just not getting support." Fitzgerald would not comment on the reasons the PSOA decided to take the vote. But the source said a series of actions--or nonaction in one case--was the cause of the vote. Two other officers, reached at separate times, corroborated two of his points: * Union members perceive a unity between the department's top brass and city administrators, who are not trusted by many officers in the department. As contract negotiations between the city and the union have worn on for the past 18 months, the source said Williams and his commanders are viewed as doing little to help the officers. As evidence, the officer pointed to a website created by the union last month. The site, which takes an aggressive tone against the city, specifically takes aim at city manager Robert LaSala and Councilmember Jim Roberts. Moreover, the site blasts department commanders for receiving year-end bonus checks from the city, while union members continue to work without a contract. Williams acknowledged the ongoing contract dispute has caused tension within the department, but maintained the negotiations are not the responsibility of his staff. "The issue of binding grievance arbitration is with the city manager and the City Council," Williams said. "It is not an issue that public safety management can resolve." *Williams failed to publicly support the union after comments made by then-Mayor Roberts during the November election infuriated the rank and file. According to the source, union heads approached the chief and asked him to publicly reprimand the mayor for attacking their professionalism. When Williams rebuffed the request--deciding to stay above the political fray--some officers felt the nonaction was a sign of weak leadership. "What is he telling the department with that?" the source asked. "There has never been any question in my mind as to the professionalism of the officers," Williams said. The chief added that he was directed by his boss, city manager LaSala, not to engage in a public denunciation of the mayor or City Council. "I for one wish those comments were not made," Williams added. "They were probably not in the best interest of the department." The ballots were returned just two weeks before union members plan to show up in force at the Jan. 26 City Council meeting to berate city administrators and councilmembers for slow movement on contract negotiations. Fitzgerald said the union will call out councilmembers they say promised grievance arbitration during the November campaign to settle the contract dispute. As it stands now, councilmembers have initiated a study that would look into the effects of providing the union and other city employees with grievance arbitration. In November, both the union and the city had measures on the ballot that asked the voters to decide on the contract sticking point: binding arbitration. The voters shot down both measures, leaving the PSOA and the city to continue hashing out solutions to the arbitration issue. Last month, LaSala announced a new proposal from the city to settle the impasse. The proposal did not include grievance arbitration. Fitzgerald said the union made a counteroffer, inserting grievance arbitration into the deal, but the counteroffer has been rejected. Since then, the two sides have not met with one another. "We're headed to advisory arbitration," Fitzgerald said. "We won't see each other until the arbiters get here." Williams insisted the current strife between his administration and the union will not have an effect on the quality of public safety in Sunnyvale. "It's important to let the citizens know that the department will continue to provide quality service," he said. [ Back to Contents Page | Sunnyvale Sun Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, January 20, 1999. ©1999 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.