Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition

One union is backing Broward sheriff, other voting on his leadership

- By Tonya Alanez Staff writer tealanez@sunsentine­l.com, or 954-356-4542

While one union on Monday voiced its support for embattled Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel, another union is in the midst of casting potential “no confidence” votes.

The Federation of Public Employees on Monday announced it had renewed its contract by a vote of 1,111 to 38.

“This is also a vote of confidence in how you treat us and how our bargaining unit feels about you,” the union’s Director Anthony Marciano wrote in a letter to the sheriff.

At 2,500 members, the federation is the largest union representi­ng sheriff ’s office employees, the letter said.

Meanwhile, the 1,300 voters represente­d by the Broward Sheriff’s Office Deputies Associatio­n will be voting electronic­ally until Thursday on whether they have faith in Israel’s leadership.

The associatio­n announced its intention to seek the “no confidence” vote on Friday.

The organizati­on is a chapter of the Internatio­nal Union of Police Associatio­ns and represents 1,050 members and its contract covers 1,300 deputies and sergeants. The vote is open to all of them.

The catalyst for the public show of displeasur­e was the Parkland school shooting Feb. 14, where a former student opened fire with an assault-style rifle in the freshman building of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, killing 17.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcemen­t, under orders from Gov. Rick Scott, is investigat­ing how the sheriff’s office and other law enforcemen­t agencies responded to the school. Their findings could be used as the basis to remove Israel from his elected post.

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