Fourteen adult probation officers filed suit Monday against their boss, Community Supervision and Corrections Department Director Bill Fitzgerald, alleging retaliation for their efforts to organize into a union.The alleged near brawl was between Van Os' wife who was photographing the event and an anti-union employee who allegedly assaulted Mrs. Van Os when she tried to take her photograph and began yelling out to the assembled reporters. I'll see if I can lay my hands on a copy of the plaintiff's complaint in lawsuit for more information.But their news conference on the suit turned into a near-brawl Monday evening when a probation officer loyal to Fitzgerald got into a shouting match with a lawyer's wife and loudly proclaimed them all "disgruntled workers."
Lawyer David Van Os said the 14 are part of a wider group of officers who were retaliated against last year after more than 100 signed a petition citing workplace safety concerns. Some set up a meeting with Fitzgerald and an organizer from Service Employees International Union.
Fitzgerald agreed to — then canceled — a Dec. 19 meeting and on Dec. 21 sent out an e-mail informing everyone in the department that they must reapply for their jobs.
"This is going to be one of the easiest (cases) I've ever handled," Van Os said.
See prior related Grits posts:
Here we go again with out of control Fitzgerald. Who can fire this loose cannon? How about the judges step up and do their jobs. Maybe it is all the judges and not really Fitzgerald to blame. After all the judges are really not thinking here. Maybe a bill needs to hit the lege floor to help these poor officers and put the County Commissioners in charge- they at least seem competent.
ReplyDeletegrits:
ReplyDeleteI sure would like to know how a person can become a probation officer when they had to misd. charges in the past A) unlawful carrying a weapon and B) theft. The female officer that attacked and assaulted our attorney's wife Mrs Van Os is the one in question. Do we not do background checks. I guess not. How can she claim to have been there on the Chiefs / BC CSCD behalf, assault someone and make threats police reports be filed and nothing what-so-ever happen to her. This is what we deal with a an every day basis. The favoritism is BS. I wont mention any names, however, I think we know whom im talking about. It is obvious to me that she is very unstable / I hope she does not hurt someone or there could be more trouble. If you know what I mean.
"Maybe it is all the judges and not really Fitzgerald to blame."
ReplyDeleteI think that's accurate - I was amazed when they didn't step in to stop the retention interviews. If I was a Bexar P.O., that's who I'd be unhappy at.
To the second anonymous - I think if you start banning applicants for P.O. or guard jobs with misdemeanors, you'd lessen the pool even more than now, when they can't fill current open slots. Hiring pressure is probably taking things the other direction - to take more people with petty criminal backgrounds - because there aren't enough people who meet the qualifications. C'est la vie.
Grits
ReplyDeleteIsnt theft a a character issue and doesn't probation officer need to have high morals or is that out the window. After all we do have to testify at times how can one be trusted when they are out thieving. It really shames me and i believe it makes us all look bad when you have a loose nut in your organization. Good thing she is not one that carries a weapon on duty.
Grits--- Diagree with you - they cannot fill open slots for Probation Officers because they pay the officers like crap- Bexar County CSCD facility guards and mointors are paid average and some above average.Bexar County jail guards get paid more than probation offiers after they finish their training. I think they are at 31,000 with no degree. Probation Officers have been left behind- They are paid 10,000 to 15,000 less than teachers,police officers and fire fighters- Where as 10 years ago they were all near the same pay. You can say pay is not the issue over and over again but 99% of us would not go into work if we were not paid. Lowering standards is more crap. Why is it that the other state/county professions are paid fair???? You get what you pay for!!!! In the officer in questions case - you got a very bad egg. The officer has been unstable at work (when she does decide to report to work),had several grievances against her, and has a pending assault, and criminal history. She also is making threats about certain officers still now. The officers she usually threatens could care less about paying attention to the unstable officer but yet the unstable officer manifests things in her head. The department was told over a year ago the unstable officer was in need of anger and mental counseling. The probation department again is falling on its sword!!! A trained monkey could do a better job than Fitzgerald!!
ReplyDeleteRequired to become a Bexar County probation officer: A Bachelor's degree and one year experience. Salary $30,000 per year. Teacher at NEISD: Bachelor's degree $40,000+ per year. At NSISD bachelor's degree $40,000+ per year. Doesn't take a BRAIN SURGEON to figure this one out! Difference is the school district has a Human Resource office that knows what it is doing and THEY follow the WRITTEN policies!!!!!!!!!! Bexar County CSCD doesn't. Ask some officers who have been singled out by the "LITTLE NAPOLEON" administration
ReplyDeleteAs a Bexar PO - we are unhappy with the judges and the chief. I think they all need to go- the public is all behind us all the way!!
ReplyDeleteEnough already. Our department has problems... Offer viable solutions to the problems, stop the name calling, act professional.
ReplyDeleteyes indeed our department has problems. one solution is for a certain someone to take action on a certain officer who likes to assult, talk on behalf of the chief and the department, makes threats, and tries to bully officers. SOUNDS LIKE A DOUBLE STANDARD - IE. STEVE LARA.
ReplyDeleteSolution 1- fire chief
ReplyDeleteSolution 2- hire cpa/payroll specialist to fix budgets
Solution 3- hire grant writer
Solution 4- hire competent chief - who finds his way out of his own office and likes officers
Solution 5- revamp sop's
Solution 6- open communication with all judges -play nice
Solution 7- fix ua lab
Solution 8- get a human resource manager who is a human resource manager-
Solution 9- new traing manager- no explanation needed- it speaks for itself
Solution 10- new chief gets his but to Austin with support from judges and officers to find out how other departments work
Solution 11- community resources manager
Solution 12- have all judges raise probation fees by chief being nice to judges
Solution 13- give weapons back
Solution 14- track grants better for effectiveness
Solution 15- work with sapd, sheriff, cps, parole, and juv probation- become proactive -track recidivism with community resources united
Solution 16- let officers form a union and support it
Solution 17- work on pay raises and case load reduction or all other solutions are not needed.
Solution 18- field sop's
Solution 19- audit team-that works to help - no gotchas
Solution 20- try training new officers before you hand them all 150 cases.
solution 20- mis cases funding need expansion
solution 21- if we don't have funding for it we don't do it
Solution 22-go to bed - to tired to waste more time on things that are beyond obvious
wow that sounds like 22 viable SOLUTIONS-wow that person should be CHIEF or have nomination for PRESIDENT for teh new improved UNION. OUR UNION.
ReplyDeleteGuess what grits! - You are right the plan was hatched for retention interviews with judges involved!But why- why would the do nothing judges get involved unless maybe one ,two or three of the judges had something to hide. Why would the judges be scared of a union forming to work on improvements for public safety. I think they are scared. Their past budget mishaps are about to come out into the open and the chief is linking them to his retention interview decisions. Why is the chief blaming one felony judge only when we know what judges were behind the retention interview ideas.
ReplyDeleteWow- chief is already rolling on one judge.
The County Commissioners should approach the legislature and request a bill to amend Article 42.12/42.13 to allow the commisioners to hire/fire the Chief probation officer. That way, the department is not beholding to those we are forced to serve under, ie., "THE JUDGES". They would no longer be able to force us (CSO's) to violate laws for their benefit. Old as Moses!!
ReplyDeletelast post sounds go to me
ReplyDeleteGrow up! If it is so bad at Bexar County CSCD and you are so good why are you here and not somewhere else (school districts) making more money. Stop working on getting the Chief out and do your job that you don't mind picking up a paycheck for two times a month. The way I see it you owe us money. We are not getting our moneies worth.
ReplyDeleteyea ok:
ReplyDeletethe way i see it im taking care of two other case loads plu my case load and i owe bexar county money ok, whatever. by the way what happen to teh fact that are case load is to be at 90 case and im at 140. ok i owe bc cscd money, please.