Page 13 - FOP August 2021

On Aug. 15, many Chicago Lodge 7 members will join our executive board at the National FOP Biennial Conference in Indianapolis. We hope and expect the events and the actions to match the pace of that famous race they run at the local speedway there.
This National Conference has to put a focus on the Fraternal Order of Police solidifying its pres- ence as a labor organization and political activist. That should definitely be the top priority.
We always talk about being the largest law en- forcement labor union in the country with more than 350,000 members. So, we need not only a voice but much action on the national level.
The commitment to labor issues has been a bit stagnant for the National FOP. Many members have just wanted to be a fra- ternal organization, which is great for those Lodges that don’t have to negotiate contracts.
But there are lots of Lodges that do negotiate contracts. We need to make sure that labor is heard, and let our sisters and brothers know that maybe they can get some labor leadership. There needs to be conversations that are not being had. Or not being had enough.
It’s not just contractual issues that come for Lodges like ours. It’s all the grievance-related stuff. It’s fighting all the dis- cipline that keeps coming down. If they continue to hit our qualified immunity and discipline protections, we have to be- come much more labor savvy at the national level.
And we have to become more politically astute, too. We have to change the way we view our presence national politics as in we have to be a force to understand what it takes to be steering decisions and legislation related to the police.
The National FOP needs to elevate that, like we have done in Lodge 7. For example, we have elevated our PAC fund from where it was after being decimated during the past 25 or 35 years.
That is what we need to do to have a seat at the table. And let’s be honest, with all the talk we hear about defunding the police from legislators – especially in federal government – and other actions such as civilian oversight of law enforce- ment, that seat is more important than ever.
If we don’t have seats at the table, then our voices can’t be heard. If we’re going to be the largest law enforcement labor
union but get stuck at a seat at a table way away from the bride and groom, then I don’t know what to tell you. That makes no sense. When you bring the most members, how do you not get a say? How do you not get a fair shake?
And instead of us saying to those who we support with the PAC fund, “What can we do for you guys?” or “What do you want us to do?” they should be asking us, “What can we do for you?” And that question has not been asked of the police in a long time. I also hope that there’s a mentality at the national level of, “Look at what these guys at Lodge 7 are doing. There are some best ideas and best practices they are doing that are working, that we could be doing, too.”
One of the benefits of the National Conference is that you see what the other Lodges are doing and how they are han- dling the challenges, especially the labor and political action. They bring up different issues. There are seminars where you can chime in. There are leadership courses. It’s very import- ant to also talk to these other Lodges about issues that they’re having and come to a consensus about how you can combat them.
It’s not just the big Lodges like ours. Smaller ones have sim- ilar problems on a smaller scale, but they know that if you’re not going to have these conversations, or if you’re going to ig- nore them, nothing is ever going to get accomplished.
I think some of the ideas that we have put forward with Lodge 7 under the leadership of President Catanzara and our team of wonderful, dedicated individuals can show other Lodges how to do what’s best for the membership. When you have that common goal, you come up with great ideas, and I think that needs to be a theme of the 2021 National FOP Bien- nial Conference.
The National FOP needs leadership that has a presence to do that. We need a driver who can put the pedal to the medal and is not afraid of the hairpin curves. As the biggest Lodge in the entire FOP, we need to have a voice in that.
You might see something like that at this year’s conference, a floor nomination for someone from our Lodge to run for of- fice and be elevated to a national position. This will highlight that there is a way to truly combat the struggles law enforce- ment throughout the country continues to face.
Needless to say, I’m pretty revved up for this year’s National FOP Conference. It’s going to be quite a ride.
Recording Secretary’s Report
National Conference is opportunity for FOP to gear up and shift into overdrive
ROB NOCEDA
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ AUGUST 2021 13