State police supervisors have been given approval by the Connecticut Board of Labor Relations to form their own union.
The union will include 50 captains and lieutenants. They had voted last July to unionize, citing concerns about pay, morale and poor planning within the state police.
The state had tried to block the managers’ attempt to unionize and managers brought the issue to the board of labor relations, which has the final word in this case.
Troopers and sergeants have long been represented by a union that represents them in contract negotiations, wage issues and incidents involving disciplinary action.
Lieutenants and captains have been subject to transfers and punishment with little or no recourse.
Outgoing Public Safety Commissioner Leonard C. Boyle warned that having two unions may be difficult for the department to manage and that there could be financial implications.
Boyle said the lieutenants and captains found themselves “in an untenable situation, where some were making less money than the people they supervise.”
“Certainly, if the state has to start paying lieutenants overtime, it’s going to cost 1/8the state 3/8 a lot of money,” Boyle said.
