FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE.   Term Paper ID:24579 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Examines police union, collective bargaining effectiveness, relations with management, hiring, pay, retirement, seniority, examples (Orlando, San Antonio).... More...

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Paper Abstract: Examines police union, collective bargaining effectiveness, relations with management, hiring, pay, retirement, seniority, examples (Orlando, San Antonio). Paper Introduction: Introduction Relations between management and labor constitute one of the most important aspects of organizational behavior as workers seek to maximize their job satisfaction while management seeks to minimize costs. When workers perceive that they are treated fairly and that they have a good work environment, relations with management are often cooperative and concilitory. When workers are of the opinion that they are exploited by management, or that their concerns are not appropriately perceived by management, difficulties can develop. Unions are one tool that workers use to better convey their concerns to management. Unions have developed the strike, which is a legally protected weapon used against management. Unionization spread quickly through the private sector, but was less successful in organizing public sector employees. The rig Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. (1994). In addition, the contract guaranteed that accused of using deadlyforce in the line of duty would be returned to duty immediately after beingcleared in an internal investigation. 1, 14. (1989, September 18). Over time, unions evolve to thepoint where the union is working in accordance with the management team.This occurs after the union has won wage and benefit gains and when thereare fewer serious challenges to work out. In this way, agencies can pay twopatrol officers performing the same tasks considerably different wagesbased on their lengths of service with the department (Seib, 1996, p. This makes the San Antonio package one of the most generous inthe country, and the leaders of the San Antonio Police Officers Assocationacknowledge a debt to the FOP, although their officers typically are notmembers (Barrett, 1989, p. In addition, there is a greater emphasis today oncommunity policing and on prevention rather than apprehension, with theresult that some agencies encounter strong resistance to change from seniorpolice officers who are not able to adjust to the new culture. The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Many of the gains that have been made within police agencies havearisen because of the efforts of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP). The use of billboards in Orlando was particularly problematic for thecommunity because Orlando is a tourist destination and a reputation ofhaving a high level of crime, or of a community which has a poorrelationship with the police, would have potentially devastatingconsequences to the local economy. 171-185.Gittler, H. 166). Enter at your own risk" (Zacharias, 1993, p. Thisis a union in the traditional sense in that it consists of a nationalorganization and then local chapters; the local chapters are typically theones which take on the responsibilities of negotiating with individualdepartments (Ruben, 1988, p. These billboards read simply, "Welcome to Orlando! As with other unions, police officers hired into agencies where theFOP has a presence typically has to join the FOP, with some of theofficers' pay going directly to support both the local and national FOPactivities. 99). 166.Gely, R., & Chandler, T. At the end of the contract negotiations in the late198 s, the average San Antonio police officer with five years' experienceearned approximately $35, . Modern Police Management. Introduction Relations between management and labor constitute one of the mostimportant aspects of organizational behavior as workers seek to maximizetheir job satisfaction while management seeks to minimize costs. This is a directresult of the efforts of the FOP, who have effectively bargained for payraises based on length of service. (1994, September 5). 1). The need to hire new officers is directly affected by the retirementof senior officers, but the ramifications in this regard move beyond merelya one-for-one replacement. The associationhas fought scandal and violence (including one officer shooting another atone point), and in the late 198 s and 199 s, the association embarked on acampaign to improve the image of the city's officers. The other drawback to having too many senior personnel within adepartment is the tendency for older officers to become entrenched in the"way things used to be." Police work has changed tremendously in the last2 years, with computers and related technology making the police officer'sjob very different. As withgains made by labor unions in private enterprise, the FOP is particularlysuccessful at tying increases to cost of living adjustments based on theconsumer price index (CPI) and to making the pay in given areas comparableamong agencies. New contract for county police in maryland. (1988, August). 99-116.Ruben, G. During a 195 s recession, theclosing of a glove factory threatened to wipe out the one-industry town ofGloversville, New York, but unemployment insurance kept the town aliveuntil employment was restored. Since many police officers begin their careersin their early 2 s, they are physically able to continue working in theirjobs well past the time when they become eligible for retirement. (1987, December). 52.Seib, G. Recent FOP Activities In recent years, the FOP has participated in more than justnegotiations for its members, and the organization has learned to use themedia to help it accomplish successful negotiation outcomes when it doesnegotiate contracts. Insome cases, police officers are represented by a national union, theFraternal Order of Police (FOP); in other cases, police officers in a givendepartment have their own association. The union tends to have greater support andmembership on the East Coast; the gains that were made there initially havespread to the Western United States without significant membership gains inthe FOP (Ruben, 1987, p. Despite this settlement, the seven unions representing 15,5 otherDistrict of Columbia workers (non-FOP unions) declared that bargaining wasat an impasse, triggering a lengthy mediation process in which the FOPcontract was used as a model for the other contracts in the area. There are some city officialswho maintain that the union was merely participating in media posturing,and that it had no intention of actually displaying the billboards as ithad threatened. N. F. Unions are one tool that workers useto better convey their concerns to management. This research examines the union environment within policeorganizations. The FOP's Collective Bargaining Effectiveness The FOP has been instrumental in obtaining wage and salary gains forofficers, but it has also been effective at obtaining better workingconditions, including days off and schedules that are beneficial toreducing stress and improving officer morale and effectiveness. Prior to the agreement, officers hadto wait the outcome of a grand jury investigation. FOP Effect on Police Collective Bargaining Many analysts are of the opinion that the successes non-FOPassociations have had with regard to collective bargaining on behalf ofpolice officers is due to the early success of the FOP (Seib, 1996, p.A16). Despite the fact that police unions are unable to use the union's mostpowerful weapon, unions have taken hold in police agencies across thecountry. The .44-caliber mouthpiece. Thus replacing a seniorofficer with a rookie is not always an ideal situation. Unions have developed thestrike, which is a legally protected weapon used against management.Unionization spread quickly through the private sector, but was lesssuccessful in organizing public sector employees. The cops' view. Unions alsopushed workers'-compensation laws through Congress and state legislatures.Despite abuses of these laws, they did wipe out two archaic doctrines:assumption of risk by workers when hired and contributory negligence byinjured workers (Gittler, 1994, p. In addition, officers receivedbetter benefits in the form of optical and dental benefits, and the FOPalso negotiated legal protection and assistance for officers, aparticularly important consideration in this highly litigious environment.Other benefits included giving officers credit for planned paid time off(such as scheduled days off) that they might not be able to take because ofduty requirements, at the rate of 1.95 times the amount of time off theymiss. Today, few Americans realize that the eight-hour, five-day workweek is a result of the efforts of unions, and one whichhas benefitted both union and non-union workers. During the Great Depression, unemployment insurance came into being asa result of strong pressure from unions. 47.Ruben, G. 1). While the FOP enjoys fewer members in the southwest and west than inthe eastern United States, unions among police officers (often calledPolice Officer Associations and limited to single departments) have becomecommonplace throughout the country. The effect of political activity by police unions on nonwage bargaining outcomes. Delaying retirement has two benefits to police agencies: it reducespension payouts, and decreases the need to hire new officers. Forbes, p. Labor Day turns 1 . This benefits all of the agencies in the area in thatofficers are not likely to leave one agency for another simply because oneagency in the area offers significantly higher wages than others (O'Brien,1996, p. The Washington, DC contract gave all officers wage increses totallingnine percent over a three-year period. The agreementalso provided for additional pay increases based on experience and foraccelerated promotions to aid in competing for personnel with otherjurisdictions in the metropolitan Washington, DC area. In a contract settlement which demonstrates the union's ability tofocus on non-wage issues, length-of-service pay allowances were adopted ina three-year agreement between the District of Columbia and the FraternalOrder of Police in 1987. 47). (1993, June 18). Monthly Labor Review, p. Inaddition, veteran officers with 2 years or more experience have a wealthof knowledge which is difficult to replace with younger officers who haveonly recently graduated from the police academy. Whenworkers perceive that they are treated fairly and that they have a goodwork environment, relations with management are often cooperative andconcilitory. An example of this success can be seen in the 1988 negotiations inMontgomery County, Maryland, and the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 35.Approximately 8 police officers were covered by a settlement between thecounty and FOP in a three-year contract which provided for a 5.5 percentpay increase in July 1988, and 4.6 percent increases in successive years(varying with the movement of the CPI) for 1989 and 199 . Conclusion While the advancements made in San Antonio are dramatic, similarstrides have been made by police associations throughout the nation in bothlarge and small cities. Police offered incentives to delay retirement. Journal of Labor Research, pp. Mature unions often find thattheir members are less committed to the union and its goals, and the unionitself becomes characterized by bureaucracy and administration, often thetwo issues that it was formed to react against in the beginning (Holden,1994, p. Police officers on the West Coast and southwesternUnited States are less likely to be members of the Fraternal Order ofPolice than those in traditional union stronghold regions (such as theNortheast), but all admit a debt of gratitude to the FOP for the inroads itmade in collective bargaining. In this way, officers in New York can help support efforts onbehalf of officers in Florida. Support yourpolice" (Zacharias, 1993, p. For example, in 1993, the FOP was rumored to beplanning to take out billboards which indicated, in a dramatic fashion,that the police department was of Orlando, Florida was at a contractimpasse with the FOP. 11). Key issues whichslows down negotiations included pension fund issues as well as pay foruniformed officers. Forexample, San Antonio police officers (numbering 1,45 ) successfullynegotiated contracts which they consider to be beneficial to their members. Monthly Labor Review, p. 47). San Antonio was also successful in negotiating one of the best healthcare packages in the country, and its officers receive three-and-a-halftimes their normal wages for working holidays (which are regularlyscheduled days). A16). Industry Week, p. P. Unions and Police Agencies Many, if not most, police agencies are prohibited from using thestrike because of the negative effect that such job actions would have onpublic safety. An early success of thelabor movement was the elimination of child labor, another development inthe success of labor unions which is largely lost on today's workers whoare too young to remember when children as young as eight and nine workedlong hours for little pay in often dangerous factory jobs. When workers are of the opinion that they are exploited bymanagement, or that their concerns are not appropriately perceived bymanagement, difficulties can develop. (1996, Spring). Wall Street Journal, p. Pensionpayouts reduces the immediate cash flow necessary to cover the department'scommitment to the pension fund, which can be a significant benefit topublic agencies in these difficult financial times. M. Protective service unions' political activities. At the time, FOP was the bargaining agent for 375 uniformed Orlandoofficers who were working without a contract since 1992. The billboards were to show a family being held atgunpoint with the slogan, "Welcome to Orlando! 242). Cost of living differences, pioneered by the FOP and used by the SanAntonio association, placed the city's officers among the highest paid inthe nation, making it easier for that city to recruit and retain highquality officers. From thisstandpoint, early retirement (or retirement at the earliest possible point)can be an advantage if it means that officers having difficulties adjustingto the new environment leave the department. Instead of using the strike, unions are effective at using theirpolitical clout (through contributions to political candidates, among otheractivities) to gain better working conditions and wages for theiremployees. Some of the effectiveness of theseorganizations is directly attributed to the success of the FOP. College graduates in San Antonio receive a ten percent salarybonus, off-duty security job opportunities, and retirement after 2 years(if they desire) with lifetime medical care for themselves and theirspouses. Managers in police agencies throughout thenation must now engage in collective bargaining in large part because ofthe efforts of the FOP, although many departments have their own unionsrather than members of the FOP in their ranks. Where work stoppages in the private sector slow downproduction, or eliminate the ability of the company to conduct its everydaybusiness, work stoppages in police agencies remove valuable public safetyworkers and put the citizenry in some danger (Gely & Chandler, 1995, p.172). Although officers in New York City earned 15percent higher in nominal wages, the higher cost of living in New York(estimated to be as much as 6 percent higher) makes their real wages lessthan those of San Antonion officers (Barrett, 1989, p. 11). Police union has lethal weapon in arsenal. San Antonio has an anti-union sentiment and police officers are barredfrom striking (as are all public employees) by state law. A16.Zacharias, B. The annual allowances, payable only to officerswith 2 years of service, were intended to induce them to delay retiring.According to the city, 2,351 of the 3,88 officers on staff at the timewould have attained the 2 years' pension eligibility requirement by 1992(Ruben, 1988, p. Prior to thesettlement, salaries ranged from $22,895 to $38,7 2 (Ruben, 1988, p. Although police work is inherently dangerous and unpredictablein nature, unions work to increase the number of patrols which havepartners, to increase the number of sworn officers in an agency, and toimprove the vacation and other leave which officers are eligible for.Unions also negotiate pensions for officers (who are typically able toretire with full benefits after 2 years as a result) and to push forbetter training within agencies (Seib, 1996, p. Of course, there are drawbacks to having too many senior policeofficers within an agency, the most costly (from a financial standpoint) ofwhich is the fact that these officers are likely to draw a considerableamount more in salary than their younger counterparts. (1995, Spring). Putting off retirementplaces less of a burden on the pensions, which can continue to build uptheir principal while the officers continue working. Orlando Business Journal, pp. 166). New York City officers, on the other hand, receive onlydouble time. A16). City Hall does not supportyour police. Prior to the "risk" billboard, the FOP lodge hadalready contracted for two billboards at major intersections within thecity. Journal of Collective Negotiations in the Public Sector, pp. Works CitedBarrett, W. 52). 11.Holden, R. (1996, June 26). Unions Labor unions within the United States got their start in the late17 s, but the most hard-fought battles occurred after the industrialrevolution in the late 18 s. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.O'Brien, K. The right to strike thatis protected for private sector workers is also prohibited to somegovernment employees, including police officers, when public safety is atstake. Managers must thereforebecome skilled in collective bargaining negotiating techniques andunderstand how unions can work with administration to create an effectivepolicing environment. 47). Because of this, every effort was madeto reach a mutually beneficial agreement between the city and the FOP, andthe "risk" billboards were never displayed. Importance of Unions to Police Management Unions of one form or another exist in many police organizations. D. During the early-199 s recession,unemployment insurance (regarded by most managements as another step towardsocialism when it was first proposed) was a boon to thousands of managerswho fell victim to downsizings (Gittler, 1994, p. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.

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