9 months ago
More than the majority of eligible Macon police voters opted to form a bargaining union with Teamster Law Enforcement League.
The final ballot was counted around 8 p.m. on Friday.
Teamsters Law Enforcement League Representative Jim Romar says 162 voted in favor of a union and two voted against forming a union.
Romar says 220 Macon police, those who who rank as sergeants and below, were eligible to vote.
The polling booth was located at the Electrical Workers Union Hall in Macon on both Thursday and Friday.
Romar said they agreed to count all the ballots after the poll closed at 8 p.m. Friday. He says they were pleased with the high turnout.
"Its big numbers... shows that it's not just a small group of disgruntled employees or something like that, I think it's important that folks recognize... a sizeable majority of the department thinks it's time for a new course of direction," said Romar.
He says within the next month they plan to meet with a small group of officers to discuss the next step and plan to have all who voted in favor of the union sign membership cards.
Earlier this week, Macon police Sergeant Steve Draper said 70-percent of the 220 eligible voters signed a petition in favor of joining a union.
They hope a union will help improve working conditions, equipment, retirement benefits and get a pay scale, said Draper.
Romar said they had one non-digital booth at the poll.
Officers checked "yes" or "no" whether they wanted Teamsters Local 528 to be their bargaining representative.
They needed 51-percent of those who came out to the polls to vote in favor of a union, in order to form, said Romar.
