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office; Shogren notes that Dineen took his turn every fifth day of being the one on-call to respond if there was an in- cident, no matter what time of the night or the weekend. “He never asked anybody to do anything that he wouldn’t do himself,” Shogren added.
And according to his peers, one of Dineen’s greatest at- tributes was knowing when to bite his tongue and step back from the negotiating table. He knew that benefits like more time off could be as valuable as more money to members.
“We took our priorities from the members,” Dineen explained. “And we learned that you don’t pound on the table with your shoe like Khrushchev did at the U.N. My theory was to be a gentleman but don’t sell your soul to the city to get anything. Did we have to make a response every once in a while? You have to. But we also tried to sit down and talk it out.”
Reardon submitted that members calling for Dineen to be more vocal might have contributed to his run as president concluding in 1992. But he also noted that the Dineen demeanor was largely responsible for the Lodge joining the Teamsters, AFSCME, AFL-CIO and other unions as major players on the Chicago labor landscape.
“He really had everybody’s interest at heart and was re- spected by a lot of people in the Department,” Reardon continued. “He would be firm, but he would be deliber- ate. He improved a lot of things for a lot of people.”
Looking back, Shogren said he ultimately admired Dineen’s ability to not let the 18-hour day of being Lodge
president consume him. “He hand his finger on the pulse of everything that went on,” Shogren reminded. “He wasn’t a tyrant, but he was the boss.”
And so when John Dineen stepped out in front of the Northwest Side Irish Parade on March 13, it was truly a tribute to everything he did to make the community, Lodge 7 and members of the Chicago Police Department just grand. d
Bagpipes & Drums of the Emerald Society
Chicago Police Department Inc. 1982
SEEKING NEW MEMBERS
The Bagpipes & Drums of the Emerald Society was formed in 1982 to Honor Police Officers killed in the of line duty. Since then, we have performed over 150 Honor Ceremonies of our Fallen.
NO EXPERIENCE? NO WORRIES. WE WILL TEACH YOU!
For furthur information: Band Manager Thomas J. Cody @ 773-410-9779. Visit us on Facebook or at www.copsinkilts.com
“In Onoraigh Ar Marbh”
(773) 410-9779 We Honor Our Fallen www.copsinkilts.com
36 CHICAGO LODGE 7 ■ APRIL 2016