Page 6 - June 2017 Newsletter

GRAHAM CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
ing the corporation counsel, should be backing us. Despite media hysteria about police misconduct, the record shows that Chicago Police Officers are doing a very good job in a very dangerous city.
We are not going to surrender our rights when it comes to discipline. That means, in particular, we will not surrender the rule mandating complain- ants sign an affidavit. No way. In fact, we want prosecutors to put some teeth into the affidavit rule by refusing to prosecute cases in which com- plainants are clearly making false allegations.
So rather than surrender rights, we should bol- ster them. Investigations must maintain due pro- cess for officers. They should not be arbitrary, and, most of all, they should not be politically motivat- ed.
Recently, the City’s Inspector General issued a report declaring that we should make concessions in our next contract. It’s not unexpected that such a report would be issued shortly before negotia- tions begin, but the report should be addressed.
We do not need to make any concessions. We
need more money for our members so that they can live in an expensive city. And the job is not get- ting any easier or safer.
Another central issue is duty availability. We must do everything we can to get back duty avail- ability for officers with less than 42 months on the job. Apart from simply being unfair, such policy changes divide the membership and set the prec- edent for more givebacks in subsequent negotia- tions. This has to stop.
Take a close look at the Inspector General’s re- port. On the one hand, the report cites the fact that officers are accumulating comp time, something that costs the City too much, he argues. But at the same time, officers throughout the City complain that they can never get time off.
Well, which is it? If officers can’t use their comp time, certainly the City is going to pay more. And not being able to get time off certainly doesn’t help morale.
So you can see why this survey is so important. If you have it, stop right now, fill it out and send it back. That’s the first step toward negotiating a contract that will best serve our members. d
6 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ JUNE 2017