By Nathan Duke
Staff Writer

Members of the Weare Police Department are hoping to become the first town department to be unionized.

The department's patrol division, which includes 13 officers, ranging from full- and part-timers to animal control officers, filed a petition in early March with Council 93 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Lt. Mark Bodanza said the decision by department members was based on employees. concerns about salary and benefit changes. Council 93 sent a written notice to the town's selectmen on March 7.

"The change that began to cause concern was a conversation between new selectmen at the board meeting about changing the town's insurance plan from 100 percent to 80 percent,�h said Bodanza.

Bodanza said the department's benefits package is different from other town employee packages, due to the nature of the job.

Last fall, Weare selectmen reviewed the police department's personnel policy and spoke to the town attorney about editing it, which made some officers concerned that salaries or benefits might be altered. Bodanza said these concerns were coupled with having an elected official as the new police chief. Chief Gregory Begin was elected on March 8 and took over as chief on Monday, March 21.

"The decision to unionize is not any reflection on (Begin) personally, though,�h said Bodanza. "We were just concerned our voice was not being heard.�h

Bodanza said members of the department thought they should review their current policy and talk about recommended changes in insurance, whether changes could be made to their benefits packages without a dialogue between them and the Police Association and language in their current policy that is unclear.

"All of the employees that are eligible for the union support the measure, including part-timers and the animal control officer,�h he said. "The feeling is that we would have more of a voice to protect our existing benefits and contract."

As for now, Bodanza said the next steps are out of the petition supporters. hands.

"We.ve submitted a proposal to become unionized and now it is up to the town whether or not to dispute it or whether (the petition) goes undisputed," he said. "Once we are voted to become unionized, it freezes the benefits package from being changed."

To become a union, a department must have 10 uncontested members. The town and police must agree on which officers would be included in the union.

The board of selectmen can contest any of the 13 positions that signed the petition, which could provide a roadblock for the department to become unionized.

Harriet Spencer, Council 93's coordinator for New Hampshire, said that if the town objects to inclusions in the proposed bargaining unit, the state could hold a hearing.

"We can become unionized if the petition goes uncontested," said Bodanza. "If it is contested, it will go next to the Department of Labor."

If the police unionize, terms in the personnel policy would be renegotiated and made into a contract the town could not alter without renegotiating with the police.

Officers would also be able to appeal disciplinary actions by the chief if they felt it went against their contracts.