Page 14 - January 2018

Financial Secretary’s Report
Updates on FOP books, ID cards and duty availability
Happy new year — I hope the year will be good to you and your families. The FOP books were sent out in the third week of December, and I hope you have all received them by now. If you have not re- ceived one, please call the Lodge and confirm that we have your correct address.
There was a minor glitch with the FOP ID cards that were mailed along with the books. A printer error was discovered, where the officer’s name was unintentionally entered on the line where the
beneficiary’s name should be. Whomever you had listed as your beneficiary with the Union last year has not changed. This is only for the Union’s life insurance policy, not the City’s; that is separate. If you want to check your beneficiary and be sure, feel free to call us here and we will check and confirm for you.
Finally, I have been getting calls regarding the duty availabil- ity dates being omitted from the new FOP books. Payments are scheduled to be distributed on Jan. 7, April 7, July 7 and Oct. 7, 2018. Uniform Allowance payments are to be made on the first of February, August and December 2018. The Grievance Com- mittee is scheduled for Jan. 18, and I’ll have an update on that next month.
The City’s irresponsibility in issuing orders without consult-
ing the Union seems to be confirmed with the winning deci- sions we received in the Disciplinary Matrix, and now the Body Worn Camera Order. The judge’s decision nullifies any disci- pline they have given — or tried to give — an officer concerning either of these orders. Although I’m sure the City plans to ap- peal these decisions, it would be more efficient for the City to sit down with us and discuss, not dictate, the orders they wish to issue that affect our contract.
I would now like to go over the process of finalizing a settle- ment agreement for a grievance. When a settlement is reached for a grievance, a settlement agreement is written up by the City stating the grievance and the resulting offer from the City. A copy is sent to the Lodge and needs to be signed by the City’s representative, the Lodge representative, and finally the griev- ant officer. This finalizes the grievance so that it may be imple- mented and cleared from the system. My secretary, Catharine Manning, usually contacts the officer to come in and sign the settlement agreement. It is then sent back to the City, and a copy is put into the file. I am mentioning this because here at the Lodge, we have a few that need to be signed to finish them. If you received a letter or call from the Lodge, please come in and sign as soon as possible.
Stay safe and warm. d
MICHAEL GARZA
14 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JANUARY 2018