Weekly News – March 8, 2014
There was no let up in the battle to save pensions, health care and other benefits for law enforcement officers. This week’s news roundup features stories from Detroit, San Jose, Memphis, Florida, and Illinois. Police association leaders and their members are working non-stop to stop to fight these efforts. Give them your support.
San Jose police, firefighter unions have secret talks
The San Jose police and firefighter unions, saying they feel betrayed by a councilman’s recent comments, have gone public about the secret talks they’ve been having with the city regarding benefits and pension issues. The unions claim that the councilman in question, Sam Liccardo, took advantage of the confidentiality agreements in place to attack the POA. Liccardo says he stands by his comments.
Memphis POA threatens legal action
In Memphis, the city has just informed the head of the police union and two other union leaders that they must return to active duty, which goes against a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 1973. The union is threatening legal action. This change in policy by the department comes – suspiciously enough – immediately after the head of the department had a disagreement with the police union president. Hopefully the blatantly political nature of the decision will make it an easy win for the union.
In Detroit, even criminals pity the cops
You know your department is in serious trouble when even the people you’re arresting seem to be on your side. In this article, you can read reports from officers in Detroit who are getting not just sympathy, but even thanks from the very criminals they are arresting. Detroit officers are facing major pay cuts, health benefit cuts, and a great deal of uncertainty in regard to their retirement prospects due to the city’s bankruptcy.
Illinois pension report: “inaccurate, and dangerous”
In Decatur, Illinois, city officials are protesting a report from a group calling itself the “Illinois Policy Institute,” a think tank that appears to be generally pro-business and anti-government-spending – including government spending on your pensions, naturally. City officials say the report is heavily misleading and attempts to paint the budget situation as much worse than it really is.
Controversy flares up: over pensions for police, fire
State legislators in Florida are trying to push through a bill that would affect local pension systems, especially for fire and police. One sentence from this article really says it all: “The measure has been opposed at every committee stop by local government officials, the Florida League of Cities and unions representing police officers and firefighters.” But the state legislators keep on trucking, trying to pass a bill that no one likes. The bill would simultaneously change the way certain tax dollars can be allocated while also forcing the creation of 401(k)-style defined contribution plans, which are unpopular with employees who were expecting a traditional defined-benefit pension.
Longevity, not “qualifications,” will decide
These days it’s rare to hear about contract negotiations that end in a “win win” situation, but that’s what they’re saying in the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office in Florida. The new contract, described as cost-neutral, has eliminated a system that required officers to switch to different sections of the department in order to get a promotion. This not only discouraged officers who found a niche that they were really good at, but it also required the department to train officers in new positions over and over again, wasting time and money. The new system will reward officers for longevity and experience instead, as well as saving the department all of the extra training.