January 15, 2010

TMPA – CLEAT Re-unification Talks Discontinued

AUSTIN – After more than a year and half of negotiations the board of directors for the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas (CLEAT) unexpectedly voted to suspend reunification talks with the Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA).

Re-unification discussions began in early 2008 and had yielded some promising results. “We found that the membership in the two organizations was really not that different. Both organizations represent hard working men and women in law enforcement that want the tools and resources they need to protect and serve their communities,” said Eddie Wilkerson, President of TMPA and a Sergeant with the Pasadena Police Department.

The decision comes after repeated attempts by TMPA to obtain critical financial information from CLEAT including documentation on an executive only pension fund that benefits only top employees at the organization. “We began discussions in good faith and those discussions yielded tremendous progress over the last year, so their decision to end talks at this time is troubling and disappointing,” said Chris Heaton, TMPA Executive Director.

TMPA was founded in 1950 by a group of officers representing 1,200 officers from six agencies and grew to 16,000 peace officers today. “We have a financially stable organization with sound leadership among staff and our board of directors. Everyone supports the idea of unity between our two organizations and we recognize the fact that law enforcement as a profession would be better served if we were one, unified organization,” Heaton continued. “We made some good friends among many CLEAT board members and we remain hopeful that one day, one organization will stand as the voice of Texas law enforcement,” said Wilkerson. “We’ll just keep doing what we do, providing the best representation for law enforcement in the nation.”

TMPA already represents more Texas peace officers than any other organization in this state (over 16,000) and offers superior legal protection through contract attorneys and guaranteed response, contract bargaining for the new labor era, powerful legislative advocacy at the state Capitol and beyond, local political support to strengthen the voice of officers in their communities, and comprehensive training to promote professionalism in law enforcement.