Laserfiche WebLink
placed value on new and future employees over current and tenured employees. Id. Following <br /> the failed ratification, the Sheriff's representatives requested another negotiation session. See <br /> Union Ex.2;Tr. 33. However,instead of offering a resolution,the Sheriff's representatives offered <br /> a new "final offer" which removed retroactive pay unless the exact same proposal was ratified <br /> with twenty-eight(28) days. See Union Ex. 2,Tr. 17, 33. Thereafter, the Parties reached impasse. <br /> VII. SUMMARY AND ARGUMENT <br /> Contrary to the Sheriff's position during negotiations and at impasse, his proposals offer <br /> an insurmountable disparity within the bargaining unit. The Sheriffs proposals are tantamount to <br /> recruiting new employees on the backs of the current men and women of the bargaining unit. The <br /> Indian River County Sheriffs Office is in the midst of a retention epidemic. The bargaining unit <br /> contains approximately 150 employees. See PERC Certification # 1814. Since 2014, a total of <br /> thirty-one (31) bargaining unit Deputies and four (4) bargaining unit Detectives have voluntarily <br /> left the Sheriffs Office. See Union Exs. 7 and 8. Those thirty-five (35) employees account for <br /> more than 23% of the work force. Id. To compound the issue, the vast majority of those Deputies <br /> and Detectives had at least two-years' or more experience, with the average amount of experience <br /> of departing Deputies as 6.5 years and the average amount of experience of departing Detectives <br /> as 10.5 years. Id. <br /> One of the primary functions of the Union is to be a communication conduit between the <br /> bargaining unit and the Sheriff. As such, the Union has made the Sheriff aware that the retention <br /> epidemic is result of low wages and benefits. For the Sheriff to offer and stand on proposals that <br /> offer pay raises to new and future Deputies that are almost double what is being offered to current <br /> Deputies only compounds the issue at bar. Further, the Sheriffs lack of acknowledgment that <br /> 7 <br /> 24 <br />