Don't Fall for Retro

You younger kids don't remember the Newsletters that used to come out around Contract time, where Bill Nolan would close every single article with "...and enjoy your retro pay," as if that was the sole factor in determining how we'd vote on a contract.

In many cases, however, he was correct. Coppers looked at the short term money that the City had held hostage (without interest we might add), and disregarded serious issues that had real long-term consequences on seniority, discipline, or bidding rights. Cops finally started to wake up around 1997 or so and the Contract that Nolan presented to the members went down in a spectacular ball of flaming wreckage that also also led to the entire eviction of the Nolan ticket (including Dean Angelo).

We're coming up to another negotiating year and you young kids are going to hear a lot of things. Here's your chance to prove you're smarter than all of us dinosaurs were back in the day:

• Don't be distracted by the "promise" of a retro check

Don't sweat the money issue. We'd suggest that the FOP ignore it, too. In fact, we'd go so far as to recommend that the FOP demand no more and no less than what Rahm awarded his inner circle in terms of percentage raises, and then walk away from that issue (Reminder - it was double digits).

Instead, concentrate on the following:

• Round up the Baby Furlo Day to a full day
• Round up the vacation time to full days, not hours;
• Lower the time to hit maximum pay via compression - every other city maxes out at 20 years;
• Restore Duty Availability to the kids - you got fucked last Contract;
• If anyone says "More cars," throw them out of the FOP;
• Refuse to negotiate disciplinary changes;
• Reduce "merit" percentages

In fact, demand "transparency" from the City. For too long, everyone has to be "transparent" except the City. Screw that and screw them:

• Post the "merit" picks;
• post their sponsor;
• post the entire promotional list in rank order so that everyone can see exactly how many spots the connected jumped up (justify that one);
• post a real and attainable set of targets that cops can actually strive for in order to be Merit.

We'd also like to see how sergeants who had to be assisted over the finish line ("merit") a few short years ago suddenly manage to score #1, #2 and #3 on the current Lieutenants list, but since that crosses different Union lines, we'll probably never see that unless it reaches a Federal courtroom. Right Special Ed?

Anyway, the big issue is going to be reducing your Rights and protections under the contract. Money should take a back seat to all of this. Numerous bad actors are claiming that the Contract is "racist" somehow and protects bad cops. We aren't exactly sure how. A document that protects the Rights of coppers of all colors, creeds and orientations is nothing that needs alteration.