PAX Centurion - September / October 2013

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • September/October 2013 • Page 29 Political football: Newer officers, get ready for the ride By James Carnell, Pax Editor I am intentionally writing this article before (9-16-13) whatever decision may come from arbitrator Tim Buckalew regarding our contract morass. As you all know, we are now into our fourth year without a contract or raise. Our contract expired in July, 2010, despite the fact that our bargaining committee began negotiations with the city – with an eye towards avoiding this very situation – in January 2010, a good six months before the last contract expired. Regardless, and despite lip-service from the Menino administration, we remain, as of 9-9-13, without a contract. Does John Q. Public care? NO. Do “the friends of labor” give a damn? NO. Does the good liberal Governor Deval Patrick or “our friends” inWashington, DC give a damn or say anything on our behalf?Ahhhm…that would be a NO! In talking with many of our younger officers, I am amazed that they are amazed at the treatment we are receiving from both the press and the current occupant of City Hall. Be not amazed. History, indeed, repeats itself. Back in the early 90’s, when Ray Flynn left office and TomMenino became Mayor, we were then (90-91-92-93- 94) left without a contract for years and forced to go to arbitration; or more correctly, what passes for arbitration after proposition 2½ in the 1980’s. (It used to be final and binding arbitration, now; it’s subject to approval for funding by the city council.) We got screwed on that arbitration decision, but it was the only avenue open to us at that time (as it is now). Many younger officers thought that, after the heroic actions by our officers in the aftermath of theApril Marathon bombings, the public appreciation that was openly expressed at that time would somehow translate into a fair contract. Ever the pessimist, I cautioned at the time that John Q. Public’s backslaps and accolades would soon revert to the usual criticism, second-guessing, and out- right hostility. And I hate the fact that, once again, I was right….. And here we are again. Just after Labor Day, the Mayor’s compli- ant and willing consorts in the local media began his press campaign to wail and moan about the debt that would be left to the Mayor’s successor, should a favorable decision be rendered by the arbitrator. “Oh, woe”, they wailed, “the evil Patrolmen’s Association may cost us millions of dollars in back pay”. And of course, the Mayor was portrayed favorably as the great beneficent leader, who had attempted to settle contracts amicably with the evil BPPA but was met with re- sistance and greed. (Place an “X” ____ here if you’ve heard this tired paean before). This is of course, crap, but the vast majority of the local media is bought, sold, and paid for by politicians. If you want an exclusive interview, suck up. If you want to get invited to the political “times” and hob-nob with the elite, shut up and report what we tell you. Screw those cops, EMT’s and firefighters. They make too much money already…. That’s the company line. That’s the spin. That’s the handshake, the wink and the nod between press and politician. But what I really want to communicate to our newer, younger officers is this: Don’t be surprised by the coming storm. Politics is a whore’s business. And unfortunately, our arbitrator’s decision will be delivered right in the middle of a Mayoral mad-dash of 12 candi- dates, most of whom are more than happy to use the police union as a convenient political football. Social liberals will quickly become fiscal conservatives if anything approaching a favorable decision for the BPPA is arrived at. The media accolades showered upon you after the Marathon bombing are over, and you and your union will be excoriated by the candidates, all of whom will take immense pleasure at another gratuitous swipe at the evil BPPA. It was this way in 1965, when the BPPA began, and it’s ten times worse today. If it was up to John Q. Public to vote on our contract, we’d be making minimum wage, if that. So strap your seat belt on and get ready for the whore politics. Don’t be surprised. Just get ready, and take a good, hard look at who you think our political “friends” are and who they really are. Wel- come, new officers, to Boston politics…. We wanted parity with our brothers and sisters in Fire. We wanted that parity to reflect in how much pay we get and how soon we get it. That was what we were tasked with and that is what we fought for through Bargaining andArbitration. Admittedly we came up short. Not for lack of effort or resources. Not for lack of validity in our argu- ments. Ultimately we came up short because we, along with Mayor Menino’s team of public employees and private sector lawyers and consultants, agreed to enter into and abide by theArbitration Process. When this came out we kicked some rocks around the parking lot. We spent the time talking to members and explaining the pros and cons of theAward. We searched for the silver linings in the cloud. We didn’t go to Fargo Street or Morrissey Boulevard and ask them to carry our water or fight our fight. We didn’t (in my limited opinion illegally) attempt to negatively influence the City Council or public opinion because we were not completely satisfied with theAward. We did not try for another “bite of the apple”. So that brings us to today.. Two weeks before you’re reading this. We need a vote by the Council. I pray the vote is an affirmative vote. I hope we can end this process and move forward as an orga- nization. If it is not an affirmative vote Mayor Menino and others want us to go back and bargain. If that happens then our “bar” would already be set by an uninvolved party. Our goal of parity would not even be allowed to be considered. I’ve seen once already that the low (0,1,2,3,3,3) and the high (parity) create a middle. A middle neither side is happy with. I would not look forward to trying to bargain be- tween the low and middle. We would be farther away than we already are from our goal. If I’m still part of the Bargaining Team in the future I look forward to sitting down with a newMayor and his team when it’s time to go to the table and bargain a fair contract for the membership. I look for- ward to the idea that our fates will not be in the hands of a third party. I hope everyone involved realizes that that time is January of 2016. Not now. This has been argued enough. It is a decision that both par- ties are not happy about but both parties can live with and can work from. The Council is not the scapegoat for anAward the City doesn’t like. It shouldn’t be used as one. How we got here and where we may be going From Going on page 28