Union Suspends Deputies Seeking Recall

Leaders of the powerful union representing 7,000 Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies have suspended six members, saying that the officers violated union bylaws by setting up a competing organization and colluding with the department’s management.

In a letter sent to the deputies Tuesday, Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs executives ordered the group to appear at the union headquarters next month for a hearing at which they will be asked to explain their actions.

Since December, the deputies have been engaged in a bitter struggle to recall the union’s Board of Directors, charging that the leaders went against the members’ will by supporting the late Sheriff Sherman Block instead of Lee Baca during last year’s election.

According to the letter, officials allege that the deputies aligned themselves with departmental management in an effort to undermine the union. Union officials say they also plan to file an unfair labor practice charge against Sheriff’s Department officials.

“It is the hope of the Board of Directors that our decision to take action at this time will send a clear message to anyone who would intentionally compromise our members’ interest,” union President Pete Brodie said in a prepared statement. “Activities in collusion with management, especially self-serving behavior aimed at personal benefit for the offenders, will simply not be tolerated.”

The letter did not give details on how the group has associated itself with department officials. Group members have denied such a link.

“This is a deputy issue, not a management issue,” said Matt Rodriguez, one of the suspended deputies. “All we wanted was for the process to be fair. They can go ahead and toss us out of the union. That is not going to make us go away.”

Union leaders also allege that the deputies formed a competing group--called Sheriffs for a Democratic Union--in an effort to draw members away. Richard Moss, an attorney for the six, denied that charge, saying the group was formed in an effort to hold the union executives accountable.

During the past few months, the deputies have taken the union leadership to task on a number of issues, including how the group is spending membership dues. Most recently, they alleged that group leaders sold out the deputies by agreeing to a 3% raise each year over the next three years.

Arguing that the pay increase was too modest, group members sent a letter to the board asking to be present Thursday while representatives counted union ballots on whether to ratify the raise.

The union responded with a letter of its own informing the deputies that they were suspended from all privileges of membership, including viewing the balloting process. (The membership voted down the increase, union officials said.)

In addition to Rodriguez, Deputies Alex Villanueva, Scott McKenzie, Sean Ruiz, Paul Clay and Steve Miller were also suspended.