IBEW Local 733 (Pascagoula MS) Withdraws as Bargaining Rep For Gautier Police So They can Pick New Representative

From The Mississippi Press

Gautier City Council OKs police union request
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
By GAYLON PARKER The Mississippi Press

GAUTIER -- The City Council approved a request from the Police Department to eliminate IBEW 733 as the department's bargaining agent and allow personnel to negotiate future contracts collectively.

Police officers made the request at the Council's March 1 meeting, but the IBEW requested a chance to settle their differences.

The council granted Jim Couch -- IBEW's new business manager -- the opportunity to talk with the Policemen's Union. But officers will do their own negotiating from now on.

During one meeting, police officers voted 22-5 to withdraw from the IBEW. At a later meeting, officers voted 16-0 to do so, said spokesman Capt. Terry Bulloch.

Couch sent a letter to City Manager Christy Wheeler on March 10 stating IBEW was no longer the bargaining representative for the department because "a majority of the department that voted elected to drop the IBEW."

Reporter Gaylon Parker can be reached at gparker@themississippipress.com or (228) 875-8144.