Page 13 - January 2020 FOP Magazine

Field Representative’s Report
All questions deserve an answer
Greetings.
My name is Andrew Cantore and I am pleased to in- troduce myself as an interim Field Representative for the FOP Lodge.
I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank the board of directors for having confidence in me and vot- ing to approve me as a Field Rep. I will serve in this ca- pacity for the Lodge until the current election term has concluded.
Secondly, I’d like to congratulate Jay Ryan, third vice president, as he has reached that ultimate goal we all look forward to — retirement. I wish I had been able to
work with Ryan for a longer period of time, but I am happy for him and eternally grateful for the knowledge he has shared with me re- garding my FOP duties.
As a Field Rep, I will be acting in the best interests of members — whether from inside or outside the FOP’s facility — and ensuring that the contractual rights of members are not violated. My duties also include medical and injury on duty-related grievances. So please, if a member feels that his or her contractual rights regarding medical and IODs have been violated, feel free to contact me at the Lodge with any questions or concerns.
I strongly encourage an open door policy in the hopes that any member who has a question will feel welcome to call or visit the FOP Lodge. I do not believe in questions being too small or, for lack of a better word, “silly” in nature. Bottom line: If you have a question, you deserve an answer.
One of my goals is to get out in the field as much as I possibly can for a more personal introduction and create a professional, working relationship. My presence during a roll call is for you, the members.
I want to answer questions, address concerns, protect your contrac- tual rights and most importantly, acknowledge the best interests and safety of all the police officers who risk their lives daily to protect the city of Chicago.
I have been involved with the FOP since rounding the fifth year of my career as a police officer in 015. I began attending more of the general meetings at the FOP Lodge to be more “in the know.”
In 2012, I was fortunate enough to be appointed to the Grievance Committee. From there, I began soaking up and learning everything I could about our rights as members.
When I was elected in 2017 as a trustee to the FOP Board of Direc- tors, I was humbled. And while shifting to 025, I’ve kept my ears open and learned as much as possible.
I took it upon myself to become more involved in the FOP because as a young police officer, I had a lot of questions to which I never received a straight answer at the district level. So, I made the time to inquire and obtain this information from the Lodge by attending general meetings and participating in different FOP committees.
This allowed me to establish a solid foundation concerning the FOP collective bargaining agreement/contract as well as cultivate a working knowledge base of our rights and procedures as members.
The membership is facing issues we’ve never encountered before, and some members are uncertain about what to do in these instanc- es. In many cases, we as police officers are not aware of the entirety of our rights or procedures when it comes to the collective bargaining agreement/contract.
My main objective is to be a voice for the best interests and safety of members and to further the educational development of all mem- bers during a time of need, especially when you’re involved in an in- cident or before a circumstance arises.
ANDREW CANTORE
CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JANUARY 2020 13
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