Page 39 - February 2017

ing degrees of concern. Right off the top, President Angelo anticipated the report being released before the Jan. 20 in- auguration of President Trump and the ensuing turnover in the DOJ, which begged two questions:
“President Angelo was concerned they would rush the report to get it out before the 20th and they did,” Fioretto says. Additionally, with the DOJ turnover, could the Trump administration essentially throw out the report and advo- cate another course of action? “To me, this is uncharted ground, but I doubt that Trump will use an executive or- der or (Attorney General Jeff ) Sessions is going to rip up the report,” Fioretto submitted. “What happens next, however, remains uncertain.”
So a certain ambiguity wafted up in the wake of the report over matters such as the recommendation for the Depart- ment to expand its use of body cameras. When combining that rhetoric with several mentions that the City and De- partment need to work with union representatives, there would seem to be a glass-half-full view of how expanded use of body cameras could be an asset.
But in what the Lodge interprets as the City and the De- partment trying to get ahead of the DOJ report, an order to increase body camera use came down without any real pol- icy, any input from the union and in violation of the law re- quiring the City to collectively bargain the implementation with Lodge 7. The Lodge already has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the Illinois Labor Board concerning the Department’s decision to unilaterally expand the Body Worn Camera Pilot Program city-wide without bargaining, let alone consulting with the Lodge.
Similarly, the Department has been trying to get
on top of the report’s accountability recommenda- tions by implementing its Discipline Matrix unilater- ally and in violation of the collective bargaining agree- ment with Chicago FOP Lodge 7. Once again, the Lodge filed another unfair labor practice charge, which is presently being investigated by the Illinois State Labor Board.
“Contractually and statutorily, the City and Department have to meet with us before implementing such chang- es unilaterally,” Fioretto defends. “But if they want to get ahead of the report, they are missing the main point of getting buy-in from the people it’s going to impact. In any institution, you don’t want top-down: you want inclusive- ness, and in the report, there were several examples the DOJ noted in which the Department and the City need to work with the union representatives.”
The fact that President Angelo, Fioretto and a Lodge contingent have met with Superintendent Eddie Johnson and other Department leaders to discuss several hot issues during the past year provides hope that there will be con- tinuing dialogue per the report’s references. And the men- tion of the need to do so will be of value when the Lodge begins negotiations on its new contract this spring.
For all of the data points filling the 164 pages, however, the outcome and impact of the investigation comes down to one simple, basic point that will do the most good for the City, the Department, the community, the Lodge and, most important, the rank-and-file members.
Concludes Fioretto: “We’re hoping that the City will take to heart some of the recommendations made to positively impact a police officer’s ability to do her or his job.” d
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