Something Rotten at the Lodge
A couple concerned members making us aware of shenanigans at the Lodge:
Something’s going on over at 1412 W. Washington that members deserve to know about. At the last FOP general meeting, JCat introduced an organization called UCOPS, the United Coalition of Public Safety. On the surface, it was pitched as nothing more than a coalition of police groups working together nationally.But the way he kept slipping into talk about “his brand” made it sound less like union business and more like a pitch deck for his own startup.
UCOPS’s own website displays the Chicago Police Department logo as one of its “members.” Not the FOP Lodge 7 logo, not our union, but the official insignia of the Department itself. This is no small distinction. The Chicago Police Department is not a labor union, nor can it legally be a member of one. The only explanation for this is that JCat knows he would be in violation of State and National FOP bylaws if he tried to present Lodge 7 as a UCOPS member, so instead, he has allowed CPD’s official logo to be misused to push his agenda.
When asked directly at the meeting if he planned to abandon the FOP and form his own union, the President denied it. Yet his actions tell a different story. He has already aligned us with UCOPS, without membership approval, and now he’s pushing a vote next month to allow outside departments to join Lodge 7. This vote is nothing more than a power grab designed to grow his own empire; a stepping stone toward breaking away from the FOP and creating his own organization.
This is a betrayal of the membership. We cannot belong to two unions at once, and affiliating with UCOPS while remaining under the FOP umbrella directly violates our bylaws. The members deserve honesty and transparency, not backroom maneuvering and half-truths.
And let’s not forget the optics: the heads of the Chicago Police Department would likely be outraged to learn that their official logo is being used to advertise “membership” in a labor organization without authorization. That misuse alone should raise serious legal and ethical questions.
The members of Lodge 7, and the public deserve to know the truth. Our union leadership is not being forthright. JCat is lying to members, making moves behind our backs, and trying to drag us into an organization we never voted to join, all while setting the stage to walk away from the FOP entirely.
We checked the UCOPS website and there's a CPD star on the website though we are 100% unaware of any CPD employees being affiliated with them....there's the FOP and the PBPA. Someone should probably notify Corp Counsel that there is a CPD star - a trademark (copyright?) protected emblem if we recall (which is why we never used it) - appearing on a website that does no business with the Chicago Police Department.
Someone should also contact the National Lodge to let them know they might need to take some proactive legal steps here in town to preserve their presence.
JCat is supposedly unhappy with the blog, talking crap at the General Meeting and Unit Rep Meeting. He's going to be really unhappy in the run-up to the next General Meeting as we'll be posting weekly reminders that everyone who has a chance better be attending on 17 September at 1900 hours and vote down the By-Law proposals that would deny everyone National FOP membership and representation without a single debate or vote.
UPDATE: if you go to the UCOPS site and click on the CPD emblem, it takes you to....the Lodge 7 website? WTF?
Labels: FOP
31 Comments:
Hey but he’s a “tough guy that talks like Trump” so people will still drink the kool-aid.
Another organization that will win arbitration only for the city to go nah we ain’t paying. City don’t have to follow any arbitration award, how you gonna make them.
The bylaw proposal that doesn't exist? Catanzara put to bed at the same meeting that there is not going to be an attempt to leave the FOP. The FOP is hosting the National Board of Directors meeting next year in September. Detroit conference is in 2029 which the Lodge actively pushed for. It makes no sense to leave and everyone including Catanzara knows it
John. Don't you fuckin do anything stupid!
SCC, when I clicked the link for ucop's that you provided, I also saw the Chicago cpd star.. I also clicked on that and was immediately taken to the fop lodge 7 site WTF John?!?! Interestingly, when the ucop speaker approached me when I was leaving the meeting, I asked him whats he getting out of all this- looking shocked he just stared at me in silence. That kinda said it all
What suburban agency is willing to leave their union to go to jcrap? jcrap has never been a friend to other agencies. Now he wants to represent them???
J-Cat here...
Fuck you all....I sign the checks.
It's not a union.
The United Coalition of Public Safety (UCOPS) is a nonprofit social policy and education organization established under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(5) with public safety members from across the country. UCOPS was formed to impact policy and the national conversation on policing and public safety; bringing people together, connecting law enforcement and citizens, and building relationships to keep our communities safe.
It looks something like the Chicago Police Foundation, or a lobbying group.
all of what was mentioned is true, we were all there to see it.
jcat failed to do the following:
he failed to explain the main bylaw proposal of creating a subordinate organization- just a word salad ramble about how suburban coppers reach out to him and beg to join the fop.
he failed to explain any of the other proposed bylaw changes
he failed to reach out to watch/unit reps to give information and he still hasn’t done so
his main goals are 1 to be-re-elected in 2027 and 2 to jack up his reach across the state so that he can become the president of the state lodge in 2027 and do both at the same time
it just seems he’s done a good job against lori Lightfoot and with covid but is overstaying his welcome and needs to go: too many personality issues and petty fights. we are hated by state and national lodge and we just want the current contract enforced.
don’t forget who’s also complicit: Michael METTE.
setting aside the fact that he is always on a bike ride, motorcycle ride or some bullshit retreat- the guy is a train wreck of a negotiator. god forbid if this guy runs the lodge
he also enables jcat and refuses to check him because he fears going back into a blue shirt.
hey Mike: park the bicycle and check your boy
Jcat has done some good things but his time may be up if this is even half true.
Term limits are good for reasons like this.
This isn’t the only thing rotten at the Lodge.
Mom has refused to do my laundry for over a month now and I’ve turned every pair of my J-Cat Underoos inside out to wear them twice… three times.
No longer a member of the FOP because of retirement and the nonsense going on at this lodge. If the by-laws allow a recall and I believe they did in the beginning, you (members) should collect signatures and follow the by-laws for recall. I interpret the president's actions as a betrayal of the membership.
I believe the current FOP Lodge 7 Elected Officials got us as fair as they could. For that; I thank you! I do not have anything to do with the Lodge other than I’m a member. Just another working stiff in the District. I plan on voting all new members in office in the next upcoming election. I’ll be open to anyone when the various members come out to roll-calls to solicit my vote!
J-Pussy’s whole world is slowly disintegrating, only he’s too fuckin’ stupid to see it happening. He’s his own worst enemy and he’s about to find out what happens when you think the rules only apply to other people.
The Smartest Man In the Room will be schooled soon and it’s going to be epic. Tick tock, you bloated piece of shit.
PS - I’ll be forwarding SCC the minutes from this months meeting (where SCC was poo-poohed by King John) when I grab a copy while voting ‘NO’ to J-Pussy’s power grab bylaw change proposal at next month’s General Meeting.
Jcat has grown into a power hungry fraud who sold the members a bag of beans to get elected. His antics are going to get the lodge kicked out of the FOP and that will only hurt us THE MEMBERS! People need to realize that if we are not under the national FOP then the many union protections that we currently have at work will be void and we will become at will employees meaning we will be fucked! Everyone needs to call the lodge and demand answers. This is not what we voted for
To the author of this long post. You said numerous times that "someone" should contact all these different groups. Why don't you contact all these groups and organizations? What is stopping you from contacting them?
Fuck Cantanzara. I’ve said from day one that he’s dirty and only worried about himself. His bloviating is nothing more than a distraction from all the crooked shit he and most of the current regime are engaged in. I LOVE the fact that a handful of people are doing their best to keep them honest and call them on their bullshit. You people who aren’t involved with your “union” better get engaged, and fast. Johnny Boy is in the process of tanking what’s left of your collective bargaining unit to line his own pockets. Wake up and show up to Septembers GM and vote NO to him pulling the rug out from under you all.
How sweet it’s gotta be to retire and turn on this job in 10 seconds flat. Someone tell me how great it feels to separate from this doomed career. Look at these people yoyo, shirtless zoom guy, ed park fights, Jesus Christ where do they grow these people.
You fools keep allowing them to take dues out of your checks. Wise up the Flop is not being run with your best interests at heart. Hit them where it hurts in their piggy bank.
Silly Rabbit! Unions don't exist for the betterment of the member. They exist to collect dues and make the union leaders wealthy!
I am a retired 9171 and no longer a member of the FOP. I have always taught my Officers to know the rules to protect yourself and justify your actions. When I read about this attempt to have Lodge disbanded to form a new union, something kept ringing a bell so I did some research. This is what I found.
According to FOP Lodge 7 Constitution and By Laws dated and revised on September 21, 2022, there is a section in regards to Duties And Obilgations.
Article II
Duties And Obligations
Section 1.
States “….he or she shall be subject to discipline for any action, inaction or omission which constitutes a violation of his or her duties and obligations as stated in this Constitution and By-Laws….”
Section 2.
Any member may be disciplined for committing any one or more of the following offenses.
(d) Causing or attempting to cause withdrawal or succession of this or any other Subordinate Lodge from The State or Grand Lodge;….
Section 3.
Any member maybe charged, tried and disciplined for any of the above provisions, and for offenses set forth in the Grand Lodge or State Lodge Constitution or By-Laws……
This surely sounds like an act of attempt succession or withdrawal of this Lodge from the State and or Grand Lodge.
We are the only union that has retirees running it. Active members need to start voting in these elections.
Sounds like he’s trying to start his own company with our money 🫰
Where's our painting that Johnny spent over $10K on? This guy treats our dues like pocket change. Now get back out there and work those canceled days off, Johnny has more people he has to flash our cash in front of.
No Kings 🤣🤣
I am not on any social media sites that cater to just CPD Officers but I hope that someone posts all this same info on those as well. The more informed, the more attend the 17 Sep meeting and the more this gets shut down. WTF!
Click on that Chicago Police star and it directs you to Lodge 7's website. Wow
J Cat has been having major pissing matches with the National FOP president for a while now.
You've never been sued or sued anyone, have you?
To participate in a lawsuit you have to have what is called "standing." As a retiree has no standing (i.e. representative interest) in being a member of the Lodge, they can't sue. They can merely inform the active membership as to what is going on.
Thanks for the info SCC. We'll be making some calls later this morning.
He did speak up for us initially, but that was when he was younger and more robust. JCuck is an old fart. We need age limits for FOP president! 40 tops.
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