Looks of surprise were on the faces of two Buchanan County commissioners and Sheriff Mike Strong when they walked into a meeting Thursday with the Fraternal Order of Police.

Mr. Strong and Commissioners R.T. Turner and Dan Hausman scheduled a meeting with the Fraternal Order of Police Regional Lodge No. 3. The county officials knew deputies wanted to negotiate a contract, but they didn’t realize a national labor representative would be present to lead those talks.

Deputy Bill Albertson, secretary of Lodge No. 3 and Missouri’s representative to the national labor organization, requested a meeting several weeks ago but failed to mention that the union wanted a confidential meeting so that a national representative and three local union representatives could begin labor negotiations, Mr. Hausman said.

Gil Gallegos, a national Fraternal Order of Police representative and former national president, sat at the table in the Mann Conference Room ready to negotiate a 31-page, single-spaced contract. Sheriff’s deputies Tom Cates, Sarah Hardin and Michael Hess were the local representatives also in attendance.

The County Commission only received the contract proposal last week.

Mr. Gallegos objected to the presence of the News-Press Thursday or anyone else at future meetings.

Closing a public meeting requires 24 hours advance notice, and there hasn’t been time to properly consider the recently submitted contract proposal, said Scott Murray, the county’s attorney. Mr. Murray recommended the commissioners postpone Thursday’s meeting and the commissioners agreed.

The FOP proposed contract is only for one year, Ms. Hardin said.

“It’s (the contract) for the whole enchilada,” Mr. Strong said.

Under the current arrangement, deputies’ wages are determined through budget negotiations between Mr. Strong and the commissioners. The sheriff allocates raises and determines other work rules.

Deputies voted last year to have the FOP represent them following a court decision regarding collective bargaining.

The commission only can agree to funding requirements in a contract, Mr. Turner said. All of the deputies are employees of Mr. Strong and are subject to his personnel rules, he said.

Instead of negotiating the contract Thursday, Mr. Gallegos presented the FOP’s three-page document spelling out a series of comprehensive negotiating ground rules.

The document includes 15 rules. If approved, the rules would close all bargaining sessions to the public and the media and require a written response to the FOP’s proposed contract before May 14.

Mr. Murray suggested the commission postpone any decision on the ground rules until he could conduct a legal review. The two commissioners agreed.

The next bargaining meeting will be at 8:30 a.m. June 3.

Bud Crockett, Buchanan County ’s Western District commissioner, didn’t attend the meeting.

Marshall White may be reached at

marshall@npgco.com.