Unions welcome new Board member, Reps – Pgs

The Police Officers Journal New Labor Representative prepared to negotiate pandemic solutions

— By Jennifer Gomori, POJ Editor

Recruitment, retention and retirement benefits – those are the three R’s the newest POLC/GELC Labor Representative Chris Hild is focusing on in contract negotiations.

Hild has seen first-hand the implications of the pandemic on law enforcement. He hit the ground running after retiring from White Lake Township Police Command in August 2021.

“The number one issue we’re dealing with is attempting to retain pension plans for our units and recruitment and retention of new officers,” he said. “It’s very difficult with the political climate we’re in right now.”

Hild said there’s a lack of interest for students to go into law enforcement majors in college due to the negative press surrounding the profession. Couple that with reduced benefits and municipalities around the nation will continue to have a problem recruiting new officers.

“We’re trying to incentivize jobs so we draw people with experience who will actually stay with them for a career in law enforcement,” he said.

Hild served 26 years with the department, retiring as a Lieutenant, having run both the Patrol Division and Detective Bureau. He spent 17 years in Local Union leadership positions so when he was approached by two POLC/GELC Labor Reps about becoming a Representative himself, he didn’t hesitate to respond.

“I was recruited by Chris Watts and Jim Stachowski from POLC labor union. I had an opportunity to work contracts with both of these guys,” he said. “I also had the opportunity to work with (POLC Director) Rob Figurski on a couple of contracts. Being that it’s such a professionally run Union, I had no issues coming to work for them. I’d like to thank the Director of the POLC for his support and offering me another career path.”

Hild’s first Union position was serving on White Lake Patrol’s Grievance Committee for two years. “My Union involvement locally started for me very early in my career at White Lake,” Hild said. “I did 15 years as either Vice President or President of both Patrol and Command Officers associations.”

“Because I was always doing that work for White Lake for that length of time, it was an easy transition for me and I wanted to be somewhat affiliated with the law enforcement field after I retired,” he said. “I felt like myself and the administration were able to bring a lot of good things through the bargaining agreements and I just wanted to serve in the next capacity.”

Having to deal with COVID-19 during his last days on the job, he understands that being exposed to the virus is bad enough, but paying for your quarantine period is quite another issue.

“We’re trying to get some relief so it doesn’t affect the member’s Sick Bank, but gives them fair compensation when they retire,” Hild said, adding that people outside their profession underestimate the importance of ample Sick Banks.

“What they don’t understand is when that person retires, there’s a certain percent of that bank they can cash out. This pandemic is tapping into that unfairly.”

Hild was hired by White Lake Township PD in 1995. He was a member of White Lake Police Special Response Team (SRT). He served as a Field Training Officer, firearms instructor, Taser instructor, and a traffic stops and occupant control instructor.

“I taught the occupant control class at Mott’s Law Enforcement Regional Training Academy as a Sergeant and Lieutenant and at our agency,” he said.

Hild was elected three years each as Vice President and President of the Patrol Union. He was promoted to Sergeant of the Patrol Division in 2010. After serving two years as Command Vice President, he was elected Local Union President for Command his last seven years with the department.

“I was promoted to Lieutenant in 2017. My first assignment was to run the Patrol Division and I switched over in 2019 to the Detective Bureau,” he said. “I ran that through my retirement. Up until this past August, I was the President of the Union.”

His Detective Bureau initiation was quite eventful.

“In 2020, I received the Officer of the Year Award for White Lake for work done in the Detective Bureau. We had a high profile homicide that involved a poker player burned alive,” Hild said. “Within six months of being promoted there, I had two attempted homicides and then a homicide,” he said. “It was all in six months and I think it took a few years of my life off in expectancy.”

Now Hild can devote his energy to helping Union members deal with their professional lives in the wake of COVID-19 so they can focus on their jobs, instead of their working conditions.

“We’re seeing the COVID relief funding come to local governments and we’ve been waiting on these governments to make a decision on what kind of allocation they’ll make to public safety,” he said. “We could bargain for better raises or compensation in other areas. It’s been difficult without knowing what exactly these local governments are willing to spend out of that relief fund.” d

The Police Officers Journal Genesee County Dispatch Supervisor expands Union role as part-time Labor Rep

— By Jennifer Gomori, POJ Editor

When Jake Reitano was hired as a GELC Labor Representative, he soon realized his background set him apart from most of his current and former colleagues.

POLC/GELC Labor Representatives are typically retired law enforcement officers. Reitano is far from retirement, but the 34-yearold Genesee County 911 Dispatch Supervisor is dedicated to his POLC role as Local Union Chief Steward.

“I was working through contract negotiations with Genesee County 911 and we had put a lot of time into it and (POLC/GELC Labor) Representative Chris Watts asked if I was interested in working with the groups,” he said. “I said ‘Why not, if they think I can do it.’”

It’s his stellar work ethic that gives him the drive needed to be a successful part-time Labor Rep. And, if that’s not impressive enough, Reitano is also pursuing a business degree at Northwood University.

A POLC member since 2015, he began representing GELC units in December 2020. He brings with him a decade of experience serving as a Local Union Steward during his public safety career.

“I have served in different Union leadership positions in different jobs,” Reitano said.

He became a Genesee County 911 Dispatcher in 2015 after the City of Flint went into receivership and their 911 Dispatch Center was consolidated. He was a Flint Dispatcher from March 2012 until the consolidation in August 2015. “We had a financial manager. We were one of the parties that got eliminated,” he said.

“For a brief period of time, I was elected Sergeant at Arms for the Genesee Dispatchers Union, then I was promoted and joined the Supervisors group,” he said.

He’s served in public safety positions since he was 18 years old.

“In 2005, I graduated Genesee County Fire Academy and started working in Flushing,” Reitano said. “I was a Firefighter in the City of Flushing from 2006–2018. Since 2006, I’ve been a licensed EMT in the State of Michigan and worked as an EMT in the City of Flint for several years, right up until taking the dispatch job.”

He also worked as a Contract Firefighter for General Motors at their proving grounds in Milford. “That’s where I joined Security Police and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA),” he said, adding he was a Local Union Steward. “It was my first Union position in 2009.”

“I grew up in a union household. My dad was a UAW member his entire career. He just retired,” Reitano said. “He went on strike a few times when I was a kid. As an adult, I realized there was a lot of work that goes into doing the union work and fighting for everything you have. I realized I could give back by becoming a Steward. I tried to take on as much roles as I could in the Union.”

He wants to tackle the problems non-312 workers face and help Employees navigate Right to Work, which has negatively impacted Michigan workers by allowing “free riders” to have some union benefits without supporting their union through dues.

“The fact that the (Right to Work) law encourages people not paying union dues … It’s not about choice; it’s about destroying unions,” he said. “It’s about destroying what little say someone can have in their union.”

He understands the challenges of representing non-312 workers and wants to improve those outcomes.

“We have the issues with the rights of some of the non-312 groups. Negotiations can be tough for some of those groups,” Reitano said. “Some of them are in more of a take it or leave it feel from the boss. Contractual arbitration is not a guarantee. That’s something legislatively we’ll have to figure out how to get around that.”

He also sees COVID-19 as an extremely large game changer for every worker who has to leave their home to work. Essential workers took on a whole new meaning, he said.

“COVID is something I never anticipated that literally took everybody and put them at risk,” Reitano said. The sewers need to be maintained and taxes need to be paid and you’re putting people at risk just doing their jobs.”

Reitano said he wants to make sure those he represents are as safe as they can be during the pandemic. d

Eager Retires continued from page 3 decision. Now there’s the vaccine mandates and how they go forward with members who don’t want to follow a mandate and how that effects the representation.”

While he has no long-term plans yet, he dove into his retirement. “A week and half after my last day of work, my wife, Tina, and I went to Hawaii for 10 days,” he said. ”It was gorgeous. Maui is the place to go.” He cherishes the relationships he’s built with Union members.

“I’m definitely going to miss the comradery with the fellow board members that I worked with through the years,” Eager said. “I’m from the west side of the state. The board position helped me with branching out and getting to know other police Union members, while working for the betterment of the organization. I’m going to miss that.” d

The Police Officers Journal Executive Committee member focuses on mental health, long-term benefits

— By Jennifer Gomori, POJ Editor

Helping Union members flourish their entire careers with mental health intact and good benefits are the main objectives of newly appointed POLC/GELC Executive Committee member Ryan Strunk.

Strunk, a Battle Creek Police Sergeant, had many Union discussions with recently retired Committee member Scott Eager. So when Eager’s Committee position became vacant, Strunk didn’t hesitate to seek an appointment.

“I’ve known and worked with Scott for a long time. In discussions with him, I’ve always taken an active interest in the Union as a whole,” Strunk said. “I recognize we’re in some trying times with some unique circumstances.”

Strunk, a Sergeant in the Special Investigations Unit, was Chief Steward of the POLC Non-Supervisory Unit for five years prior to his promotion to Sergeant in December 2020. He has been with Battle Creek PD for 16 years, serving as a Detective from 20122020. He’s spent over six years in Special Investigations. During his career with Battle Creek PD, he has also been assigned to Road Patrol, the Gang Suppression Unit, and the Detective Bureau. Ryan earned a Criminal Justice degree at Kellogg Community College.

He supervises BCPD’s Hostage/Crisis Negotiation Team and the BCPD Peer Support Group. “If there’s any callout, I assist in getting officers and negotiators out there,” he said of the Hostage/Crisis team. “I oversee the process on scenes and the development and training along the way.”

He understands the myriad of issues police officers in particular are facing and how their daily stressors have greatly increased since the pandemic began.

“I’m trying to create a better avenue to help navigate this career,” he said. “Now you have all these stressors from local agencies wanting to mandate vaccines or mask wearing or testing. All these are additional stressors on top of what we’ve already had put on us. That’s a big theme in what’s driving me to be on the board.”

From officer involved shootings to gruesome homicides and infant deaths, the Battle Creek PD Peer Support Team is there to help officers manage the mental toll. “Anything that officers might see or experience that could have an effect on their overall mental health, perhaps driving people into substance abuse or unhealthy habits,” Strunk said.

“We’re trying to create a work environment that’s more conducive to better mental health,” Strunk said. “I just recognize the need for it really became heightened over the last couple years with COVID and the George Floyd case. Officers have to go work daily and deal with real stressors of mental health in their personal life and work in a profession that’s become quite difficult and social media makes it even harder on people.”

Good pension benefits are imperative when it comes to retention, he said. “Dealing with some of these turbulent issues, like vaccine mandates, and just overall the flavor of law enforcement, helping officers make it from hiring to retiring is my goal,” Strunk said. “And make them whole, with a good pension, so we don’t have to supplement in other ways.”

“If we take away too many incentives in this career, are we going to get good employees?” he asked. “If we don’t have (good pensions) it’s going to be pretty troublesome moving forward.”

“Just the toll that this career takes … money is never going to fix that, but it makes the pill a lot easier to swallow when I have a pension on the back end,” Strunk said. d

“We’re trying to create a work environment that’s more conducive to better mental health,” Strunk said. “I just recognize the need for it really became heightened over the last couple years with COVID and the George Floyd case. Officers have to go work daily and deal with real stressors of mental health in their personal life and work in a profession that’s become quite difficult and social media makes it even harder on people.”