Your Union Must Always Bear Any Burden, Pay Any Price

By Charley Wilkison
Executive Director

For now, the worst is behind us. We kept our promises to you — the real, live cops who defend our streets and your families who sacrifice so much. We stood strong and often alone during the political hard times of abolishing and defunding the police, which was thinly disguised as reform. We hired lawyers instead of hoarding reserves; we spent millions on criminal defense. When the choice was between protecting a working cop or raising dues, we kept your dues low. We avoided the conflicts of interest like being funded by the government and the politicians. We stood up to the politicians and fought for Covid Presumptive, killed the TCOLE Sunset bill, and ultimately forced more officer rights down their bureaucratic throats.

We continually changed our model of work, evolving to meet the officers where they needed us most. The Critical Incident Response Team and the corresponding public alerts put CLEAT in a nationally recognized space in responding in real-time and forcing public and political acknowledgment of the dangers faced by law enforcement on every shift. We responded to 1,650+ Critical Incidents during my time at the helm, 2013-2024.

Although we were constantly searching, discovering, and delivering our services to you, the members, you helped us reestablish our brand and our dominance. Imagine this, a law enforcement union fighting a decade of battles and never losing its true direction: spending the resources on what really mattered…our members. 

CLEAT responded to ZERO critical incidents during my first year at CLEAT, 30 years ago. There were very few Officer Involved Shootings across Texas, no need for lawyers on the scene, no need to caution officers or move instantly to preserve their rights. During Legislative Sessions, the Texas Legislative Service delivered stacks of proposed bills from the night before and left them on the front porch of the CLEAT office at 300 W. 13th. We were pushing towards 9,000 members. TMPA boasted 4,000 members. Things were going well. 

The battles for rights were in the Capitol, in arbitrations for those with civil service, or at the collective bargaining negotiating table, mostly in Beaumont, Corpus Christi, El Paso, Jefferson County, Laredo, and San Antonio. There was no Meet and Confer law. I am a proud veteran of the 19 years of struggles to protect and expand employment rights of that era. Officers’ lives changed for the better during those years. 

Upon taking over as Executive Director in the late Fall of 2013, I was encouraged to increase union dues as soon as possible. CLEAT’s growth rate was stagnant, other statewide police groups were growing fat on fresh cash from government grants, and some of our mentors were doing work for competitive unions. Those were tough days filled with internal strife, intentional misdirection, and lawsuits galore. 

The folks advising me to raise dues were not crazed Austin flaming liberals, but rather senior members of staff whom I deeply trusted, and former and current officers. I promised myself I would make a decision within a certain length of time, and it was during one of those meetings that I noticed a local union Board member (a Detention Officer) hanging his head in the back of the packed room full of thought leaders from across the state. I asked him to stay behind. He looked me in the eye and said $30 per month was a lot for a working family in his part of Texas. He understood the need to raise dues, he understood we were under attack and he would do everything he could to sell it to his members, but it was going to be a tough sell to underpaid law enforcement families in the far reaches of the state. That night I did not sleep thinking about rank-and-file officers having to choose between union representation for $360 per year versus other family bills. The next day, I shared with the Executive Board and senior staff that I felt we should hire more lawyers, hire more field reps, and pay for it out of our reserve fund! I developed a homemade powerpoint and declared we should attempt to grow 10,000 new members at the rate of 1,000 net new members for the next 10 years. The eye-rollers and naysayers had a point, but they were mired in 1970-80’s models of thought. However, with constant strategy and determination, we reached all our membership goals and grew ourselves back into a strong place of dominance. New members brought more money into the union—more money that we transparently spent on Legal representation. 

In May, I informed close associates that I was leaning towards retiring this year. It was a difficult decision and one that many attempted to change my mind about. In fact, I vacillated but believed I was making the correct decision. In September, I formally notified President Marvin Ryals and our governing board of my intention to retire from CLEAT. Earlier, they graciously extended my employment contract without my asking. However, I believe strongly in recruiting, promoting, and giving opportunities so that others can actually serve and lead. Leaving is also Leading. 

In my annual report to the Executive Board at our convention in El Paso, I presented an outline of our decade of constant battles and our unanimous decisions to always put the brave women and men of Texas law enforcement—our members—first. In our time together, that is what we did. 

The future of a union is what matters most. The next generation of leaders were recruited to their current positions and promoted by me. They are deserving of your full support. I see them taking your union to heights I could only have imagined. 

After 30 years, I remain a true believer. I still hold true to the same deep beliefs in worker rights and unionism that have sustained us through all these many battles. A union bearing one another’s burdens and collectively paying the price of ensuring justice is more than a business opportunity; it’s a cause worthy of joining. Keep the faith, stay in the fight.

With highest regards,

CBW