Police union decertified

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Maricopa city police have voted to decertify AZCOPS-COMPA as the union that represents them in contract negotiations with the city.

“I think this shows the officers are ready for a change,” said Justin Thornton, president of the rival Fraternal Order of Police union.
 
Seventeen of the Maricopa Police Department’s 40 officers voted in favor of decertifying COMPA, while 12 voted against the measure.
 
The decertification means that Maricopa police officers now do not have a union representing them in contract negotiations.That should be resolved shortly, as the city is accepting applications from unions that wish to represent the officers.
 
In order to qualify, a union must obtain the signatures of 30 percent of the department’s officers. All officers will then vote on which union they wish to represent them.
 
Thornton indicated his organization would be filling the necessary paper work to be on the ballot.
 
COMPA is also eligible to be reappointed as the department’s main union.
 
“I doubt we will see any other organizations beside COMPA and FOP fill out applications to be the official union,” said MPD spokesman Sgt. Stephen Judd.
 
Regardless of which union wins the election, both will maintain their status within the Maricopa Police Department, providing union benefits and services to their dues-paying members. However, the winning union will gain sole responsibility for negotiating an employment contract with the city for all officers.