James Gruenfelder, of the Suffolk County Superior Officer’s Association, has exhibited leadership qualities throughout his career. Early on influenced by family members’ careers in law enforcement, as he rose in his positions, he exhibited the skills that would eventually lead him to where he is today. His outstanding concern for his members and their families, as well as retirees, shows that he is a true believer that, as he says, “great things can be accomplished if all work together.” LaborPress had the honor of learning more about Gruenfelder, his career, the mission of the Association, how the membership is represented in all aspects of their jobs, and much more.
LP: Please tell our readers a bit about your background and career as it relates to your current position, i.e., when you started in the field, and how it led up to your role as President today.
JG: I became a Suffolk County Police Officer in October of 1991 and became a Sergeant in February of 1999, thereby joining the Superior Officers Association (SOA). I was immediately interested in being a part of the SOA and the leadership team was always very well respected. I participated by attending meetings and functions regularly as my career advanced. I have always been a strong advocate for my personnel, so I felt that I could do the same effectively for my colleagues by representing the police supervisors. Having been happy with the dedication of my local trustee, I did not seek office until early 2008 when a vacancy became available due to a transfer. By this time, I had formed strong relationships with the elected union representatives and was encouraged to run for the 3rd Precinct Trustee position in my current rank of Lieutenant. I subsequently held the SOA Board positions of Sergeant at Arms (2012), Secretary (2012), 2nd Vice President (2013), and 1st Vice President (2017), before becoming President in January of 2020.
LP: What motivated you to enter this particular field? At what age? Do you come from a family with similar values, or did you have a friend or mentor that inspired you in this direction?
JG: I became interested in being a Police Officer as I had family members who were in law enforcement. My father was a Detective, and two uncles were Police Officers in the NYPD. I became a Nassau County Auxiliary Police Officer while in high school and remained a volunteer until I joined the SCPD. My interest in union work came later in my career after my promotion and being inspired by the leadership of the SOA. I had become a Police Officer to help people and found that by becoming a member of the union board that I could help my co-workers and their families as well.
LP: Can you expand on the topic of the Association’s mission? What is, to you, its most important focus?
JG: The mission of the SOA is to represent the membership in all aspects of their job. We afford them with the support and security they need to do their jobs effectively while providing benefits for their families by negotiating fair contracts, addressing any workplace deficiencies and protecting members’ rights. We do this through effective communication within the organization, the department and the public we serve. I introduced weekly email messages to the membership, and we maintain a robust website and social media presence to provide information and advocate for our members and public safety. The SOA is also extremely active in legislative and political advocacy for issues that affect our membership. We are proud members of numerous groups in that effort including the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO), the Police Conference of NY (PCNY), the NYS Public Employees Conference (PEC), the Suffolk County Police Conference (SCPC), and the Long Island Law Enforcement Foundation (LILEF).
LP: In your view, what are some of the best ways to promote the values of friendship and fraternity between members? What are some of the hallmarks of the moral aid you provide?
JG: Promoting unity is vital to the strength and success of the union. We encourage member participation in monthly union meetings and several social activities throughout the year. We also provide support for all the department fraternal organizations and their events. Additionally, we participate with other union’s functions within and outside of the department and other jurisdictions. The mental health of members is a vital concern and police officers suffer from some of the worst suicide rates of any occupation. I created the SOA peer team in 2019 and am proud to boast of having a section of our website dedicated to providing various services for members and their families. The SOA recently unveiled a new mental health counseling program provided by our benefit fund that also trains our peer team members. We work in conjunction with our department Chaplain, other union peer teams and the Employee Assistance Section.
LP: What is the number of your local members? Are there particular police organizations in other locales that you would like to mention in terms of their participation in and the benefits accrued from their association with the Suffolk County Superior Officers Association?
JG: We have approximately 1100 active and retired members that we represent. The retired members stay very engaged with the union as we offer our benefit fund through retirement and continue to advocate for them for their health care, pension and other benefits. There are several groups that we are involved with as previously mentioned and our engagement with them in political advocacy has been vital to our membership. We form powerful organizational ties that lead us to become advocates for each other when common goals exist. Two great examples of this are the defeat of the Constitutional Convention in 2017 and the enhancements made to Tiers 5 and 6 last year. I would be remiss if I did not mention our fellow SCPD unions: the SC Police Benevolent Association (PBA), Suffolk Detectives Association (SDA), and the Suffolk Association of Municipal Employees (AME). Our regular partnership on issues has been beneficial to our members. The memberships of all ten Suffolk County employee labor unions are represented by the Suffolk Coalition of Public Employees (SCOPE), that negotiates health care for the county’s labor force. This collaboration has resulted in an exceptional and more cost- effective health care plan for all county workers. The bonds among the county unions have never been stronger and I am very proud to work with such a dedicated group of labor leaders. The strength of a union is based on its members, so the strength of multiple unions working in conjunction magnifies the influence that can be gained to benefit labor. Imagine what else we can accomplish if we work together. There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.” – Ronald Reagan
LP: It is an impressive goal to extend the Association’s mission throughout the state and nation. What are some of the ways that you have achieved such a notable reach?
JG: Our relationships with the various unions in the organizations that we belong to have improved significantly over the last several years. The sharing of ideas, our successes and failures, as well as public outreach have all occurred because of networking. Meeting people at conventions, social functions and training is not limited to the topics of those events, but rather we continue the dialogue, all in an effort to improve what we do. A prominent example of our success in this area was during the height of the defund the police debacle. The SOA created a public page on our website that shared facts to dispel the rumors and anti-police rhetoric. We were one of only a few groups that did this. We shared that with NAPO who shared it with their entire membership. We had many site visits as a result and hopefully our message was read. We also promoted our website on our social media platforms, with positive results. As a final thought, I would add that as union representatives, we are all really doing the same job: advocating for our members, just with a different logo on the letterhead next to our name. Our members all have an important job to do, and they do it all for their families. It is essential that we respect our fellow unions and their members. As union leaders, we should work as hard for our people as we would expect those who would represent us.
