More than two years after unanimously voting "Union YES," State Police captains and lieutenants welcomed the news that a Connecticut Superior Court judge soundly dismissed the Rell Administration's appeal of our election results. This, after the State's Board of Labor Relations ruled twice in our favor, and the Attorney General affirmed their decision by refusing to represent the Administration in its appeal.

The judge's 2008 ruling should have made the opportunity to simply sit down and negotiate working conditions and workplace issues possible. But Governor Rell's Office of Budget and Management contracted a private law firm -- at taxpayer expense -- to "stay the course" and take the case all the way to the State Supreme Court.

That is why we reached out to state legislative leaders and gubernatorial candidates to enlist their support. But the Administration unwisely chose to ignore safety and cost concerns and pursue their fight in court.

By the time the Supreme Court finally heard the case in 2010, the number of eligible personnel willing to seek command staff promotions had declined and the number of vacancies among the ranks of lieutenant and captain had grown. Now that the state's high court has remanded the case back to the State Board of Labor Relations for further review, our members are renewing attention to the negative impact the governor's legal battle is having on the future leadership of the State Police.

Blog entry on Supreme Court decision and next steps in the fight for a voice on the job