FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 18, 2018
MEDIA CONTACT:
Chris Murphy
chris@chrismurphymedia.com
The History, The Creation and The Untold Story of The Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union – M.C.O.F.U.’S Birthday was on October 2nd 1989.
Here is the cause, during the 1985 institution’s local union election of The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union – A.F.S.C.M.E. the election was rigged and the incumbents were Re-Elected to their office at the local AFSCME Union at MCI-Norfolk. So the challengers Richie Merrett and Brian Dawe took the case to court and in 1987 the court’s decision was that the “1985 institution’s local union election of The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union – A.F.S.C.M.E. the election was rigged” and that it will never happen again, but the outcome of that election stands.
Richie Merrett told Brian Dawe at MCI – Norfolk in Unit 1-1, you bet your ass it’ll never happen again, because we’re going on our own and we’re going to create our own independent correction officers union. With the help of Daniel O’Neil and Gary Murphy who both were on the Central Transportation Unit-CTU he was able to get the word out to the other members at other institutions. Brian Dawe got Attorney Matthew E. Dwyer to help create the new union on legal issues. Brian Dawe wanted to name the new correction officers union “Massachusetts Association County Correction Officers – MACCO”. But Daniel O’Neil found that the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations Board-MDLRB had the name Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union – M.C.O.F.U. on file. It was an independent created in 1965 to 1975 by a Gary Murphy (not the same Gary Murphy of the 1989 MCOFU, same name but different person) for MCI-Bridgewater State Hospital. In 1965 all of the Massachusetts D.O.C. union was “American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union – A.F.S.C.M.E.”. But in 1965 only MCI-Bridgewater State Hospital separated from AFSCME and in 1965 started and created their own Independent Law Enforcement Union called “Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union – M.C.O.F.U.” until it ended in 1975 and went back to “American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union – A.F.S.C.M.E.”. So that is why the name became “Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union – M.C.O.F.U.” and not “Massachusetts Association County Correction Officers – MACCO”, because the name was already on file and had a union number with the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations Board-MDLRB.
On December 17, 1989 an election was held to separate and decertify all of Massachusetts State Correction Officers from the National ‘American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union – A.F.S.C.M.E.” to its own Local Independent “Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union – M.C.O.F.U.” and with all of the money and national union organizers of AFSCME at the vote, MCOFU won by 117 votes! Brian Dawe said to Richie Merrett Merry Christmas, “NOW WHAT DO WE DO THAT WE WON, LOL”. The rest is history!!!!!
The Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union – M.C.O.F.U. Is The Largest Independent Law Enforcement Officers Union In All Of Massachusetts and In All Of New England!!!!!
Massachusetts Governor William F. Weld (1991-1997) – “We Walk the Toughest Beat In the State”
Massachusetts Governor Paul Cellucci (1997-2001) – “The True Heroes Are the One’s Behind the Walls”
The Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union – M.C.O.F.U. Founding Fathers are:
- Richard Merrett MCIN
- Brian Dawe MCIN
- Ray Perry BSH
- John Lopes MCIN (He bowed out and was replaced by Jerry Poh SECC)
- Jerry Poh SECC
- Daniel O’Neil CTU
- Gary Murphy CTU
- Jack Flanagan CTU