On Friday January 24, 2025, and Saturday January 25, 2025, the United Federation LEOS-PBA held its first local union meetings of the new year with the Paragon Systems, Inc. protective service officers PSO's in Honolulu Hawaii who just recently voted to leave their former union SPiT-FA to join our Union, United Federation LEOS-PBA Hawaii, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa.
During the two-day meeting United Federation LEOS-PBA President Charles Chip Strebeck and several other United Federation LEOS-PBA representatives met with over 100 Paragon Systems Inc. protective service officers PSO's in Honolulu Hawaii to discuss their current ongoing issues with Paragon Systems as well as the upcoming transition from Paragon Systems to MaxSent come May 1, 2025.
In addition to the above the biggest question on the minds of these Paragon Systems, Inc protective service officers PSO's was where did their SPiT-FA 401k money held by their previous Union SPiT-FA go to?
Many of these Paragon Systems, Inc protective service officers PSO's in Hawaii reported that there are thousands of dollars missing from their accounts and that SPiT-FA and/or SPiT-FA President David L. Hickey has failed to account for or give any of these Paragon Hawaii PSO's an accountability of where their SPiT-FA 401k money is.
Please Note: that it has been reported by the Department of Labor that when an Employer turns over H&W money to SPiT-FA, they SPiT-FA don't separate the money. Rather they pool all of your H&W money together and then use the money to fund their healthcare benefit fund first. If there is any excess money then SPiT-FA will then allocate the additional funds to the members SPiT-FA 401k plan.
Under our Union United Federation LEOS-PBA if you allocate your 401k money to go into your account you will receive 100% of your H&W money for each hour worked allocated into your 401k plan.
It is widely known among SPiT-FA members that this is an ongoing problem in SPiT-FA units who are under SPiT-FA's health and welfare / 401k benefit programs and that the Department of Labor is aware of this and a nationwide investigation by the Department of Labor is ongoing.
In New York City the Paragon FPS-NY Protective Service Officers who just recently were forced into SPiT-FA's health & welfare 401k program effective January 1, 2025, are now questioning SPiT-FA President Dave Hickey's actions as noted below.
"Morning Stephen it’s so crazy now the union is getting all the health and welfare money and nobody got answers where the money went. These people are so bad". Juan a Paragon NYC PSO.
Based on the above actions and past practice by SPiT-FA against its own members the United Federation LEOS-PBA and its leadership team assured the Paragon System PSO's in Hawaii that every dollar they make per hour from their health & welfare money will be accounted for. Meaning that for each hour worked they should see it in their company 401k plan based on each hour worked unlike what SPiT-FA was doing. Below are just a few of the pictures taken at this very successful meeting.
During the meeting United Federation LEOS-PBA President Charles Chip Strebeck had appointed former SPiT-FA Local Union President John Feary interim Local Union President of the Hawaii local as well as PSO Mark Schmidt to the Local Executive Board. All of the Paragon Hawaiian PSO's who attended our meeting have pledged their support to the new Union, United Federation LEOS-PBA. Earlier today PSO Willford Tejada had also stepped up and has agreed to be part of the Local Union Executive Board in Hawaii.
Other important topics included upcoming negotiations with Paragon, involving all Paragon Hawaiian member PSO's to participate in preparing the language they wish to see negotiated in their new CBA as well as the ratification process vs no input and/or ratification by the members by their previous Union SPiT-FA.
"In addition to the above our focus will be how to better service our Hawaiian members and have better communication between the International and local members which was nonexistent under the previous union. Our commitment is to do monthly site visits, local union leadership training, provide a local union website for better communication and planning member events such as our upcoming Hawaiian boat trip as part of our international / member bonding program. Unlike the previous Union, our Union, United Federation LEOS-PBA will focus on transparency and encourage our membership to participate in preparing the language changes they wish to see and to actually participate in their negotiations and be allowed to ratify their contract. We look forward to working with our Paragon Hawaiian, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa PSO members & we pledge our full support to make Hawaii, Guam, Saipan and American Samoa our premier local" noted United Federation LEOS-PBA President Charles Chip Strebeck.
United Federation LEOS-PBA now represents more Paragon Systems Inc Protective Service Officers PSO's than any other security union. Representing Paragon PSO's in Los Angeles California, Riverside, San Bernardino counties, San Diego & Imperial counties, California, Kentucky, Upstate New York, Hawaii, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, & Washington DC Capitol Region just to mention a few.
If you wish to join or form a security union at your workplace them please join the United Federation LEOS-PBA Law Enforcement Officers Security & Police Benefit Association the true authority of Law Enforcement, Protective Service Officers, Correctional Officers, Special Police Officers, Security Police Officers, Nuclear Security Officers, K9 Handlers, Event Security, Transportation Security Officers TSO's, Security Officers, Security Guards and Security Professionals nationwide. Contact us today @ 1-800-516-0094 or visit our website @ www.LEOSPBA.org
Organizing: 1-800-516-0094
United Federation LEOS-PBA (202) 595-3510
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