By Nicholas Brown
Staff Writer

Members of the Weare Police Department have voted unanimously to unionize, a move initiated last year when the position of department chief was in question.

Following a secret ballot vote on Wednesday, Aug. 3, 12 members of the department will join the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council, Local 3657. Only Chief Gregory Begin and Deputy Chief William Quigley, who hold elected positions, will not become union members.

“I speak on behalf of the rest of the men that we’re very happy with Chief (Gregory) Begin and the administration,” said Sgt. James Carney. “This decision was made before Chief Begin was elected.”

Carney said talks of unionization began when it was determined that the position of chief became an elected one, following the town’s ousting of former chief Myles Rigney.

Carney said there was some concern in the department that an elected chief may not have the proper experience in negotiating to uphold the current, open-ended, contracts, signed two years ago by selectmen.

“It’s kind of a safety net,” he said. “We just want a professional voice to be able to assist us.”

Weare police now join 24 other police departments throughout the state, including departments in Berlin, Pelham, Milford and Amherst, that have joined Council 93’s Local 3657. Four local police departments in the state have joined the union in the past six months. More than 700 police officers and correctional facility workers are Local 3657 members.

The Weare Police Department is the first department in town to unionize.

“ (Local) 3657 was specifically put together to deal with the unique challenges that police departments face,” said Harriet Spencer, Council 93 area coordinator in the New Hampshire office.

Spencer said the Weare Police Department will now have to elect local officers and a chief negotiator, adding that contract negotiations with the town could begin as early as mid-September in order to get new contracts on the ballot for the 2006 town elections.

Current contracts were drawn up two years ago and negotiated by the Weare Police Association. No members of the current board of selectmen were involved in those negotiations. More recently, however, selectmen have reviewed the town’s employee policy, perhaps causing some concern.

“ It wasn’t at all my opinion that they were trying to negate (the contract),” said Carney. “There was just some question concerning the validity of the contract itself.”

Carney stressed, however, “We’re ecstatic with the current administration and with the selectmen.”

Board of Selectmen Chairman Laura Buono said, “The last thing we did was go through and tidy up some wording,” at the advice of town counsel. She added that no major changes – such as benefits plans – have been suggested by the board.

“ I think this is going to be a positive negotiation,” she said.

Carney, who’s been with the department for the past 13 years, said he’s heard mixed reviews regarding unionization from officers in other towns.

“ I’ve heard both positive and negative,” he said. “Some departments – and some people – are happy with them, others aren’t.”

Carney added that, in the end, the department is running smoothly, union or no union.

“ Things are going really well in the department right now,” he said. “All the guys are happy and they’re happy with their bosses.”