PAX Centurion - Fall 2016

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • Fall 2016 • Page 3 A Message from the President: Patrick M. Rose, BPPA President 1919 and Present Similarities are Remarkable I congratulate all of the retirees and wish them nothing but the best going forward in their lives, knowing all too well that they have suffered far too long in their previous lives as Patrolmen, EMT’s or Paramedics. These used to be respected careers, not just a job, these used to be sought-after positions that people were proud to accept the calling to, sadly, not so much anymore. There used to be an old saying in the military that most, if not all, combat veterans believed: “When I die I will go straight to Heaven because I’ve spent my time in hell!” That prophetic statement could now be applied to anyone that serves in the ‘Public Safety’ sector. What has happened to these once-honored positions, these once sought-after occupations within the last few years is beyond belief! O n September 9, 2016, we gathered at the Venezia Restaurant to celebrate the careers of our recent retirees along with recognizing some incredible achievements by members from the both the Police and EMS side of the house. Ironically it was also the 97 th anniversary of the 1919 Boston Police Strike; which was the first attempt to form the BPPA, a move that took an additional 46 years to accomplish, almost to the day! Speaking of 1919, the similarities to then and now are remarkable, ( political and social attitudes towards Police ), however I digress; it was a terrific night and a very enjoyable time sharing memories and ‘stories’. I congratulate all of the retirees and wish them nothing but the best going forward in their lives, knowing all too well that they have suffered far too long in their previous lives as Patrolmen, EMT’s or Paramedics. These used to be respected careers, not just a job, these used to be sought- after positions that people were proud to accept the calling to, sadly, not so much anymore. There used to be an old saying in the military that most, if not all, combat veterans believed: “ When I die I will go straight to Heaven because I’ve spent my time in hell !” That prophetic statement could now be applied to anyone that serves in the ‘Public Safety’ sector. What has happened to these once-honored positions, these once-sought after occupations within the last few years is beyond belief! Led by some morally bankrupt politicians, the mainstream media along with some simple hate groups; our careers, our calling, our positions in life are under attack, (both literally and figuratively). Keep your heads up, remember we do what others refuse to, you will always be respected by the silent majority and I believe they too are getting a little tired of the rhetoric and hopefully will not be silent much longer! BodyWorn Cameras (BWC); where do we begin?You all should have received my letter sent out back in July explaining the timeline on how we got here. Before I even start, I already know that there is a certain percentage of our membership that just can’t wrap their arms around the fact that the Union is not to blame for body cameras. There is and will always be a segment that believes that our Union is responsible for all of the wrongs of the world and they are joined by some people that simply dislike us individually, or for what we stand for, I get it, but maybe it’s time to grow up. The Union exists to support the majority, to defend our members, to force the Department & City alike to abide by our collective bargaining agreement; the Union fights the good fight to better wages, hours and conditions of employment. The Union is us, all 1,500 of us, it’s not a building at 295 Freeport Street, it’s not a few men and woman located within that building, it is all of us working together; remember in Unity & Strength! Back to the point at hand; the Department and City were planning to unilaterally implement a BWC Pilot Program no matter what, with or without Union involvement. The City initially planned on giving us nothing in exchange for a BWC Pilot program. The City’s opinion that they could do just that was recently upheld by a Superior Court Judge equating the cameras to “equipment” etc. The Commissioner testified that he always believed that he could “unilaterally implement a Pilot Program without bargaining,” but chose to work with the Union because he “believes it’s easier to work with people instead of just jamming something down their throats.”We, your representatives, convinced the City and the Department that it would be much better if they chose to “work with us” and develop an agreement that was mutually beneficial. What the Union did accomplish by working with the Department was to work out an agreement which protects our members’ rights; allows for viewing prior to interviews, giving statements or writing reports; establishes that the change in working conditions for a BWC entitled us to financial compensation ( yes the $500, it’s not about the 500; it is to ensure that we legally established a financial value to the change in working conditions for the next item ), and the City agreed to a clause for a ‘re-opener’ for future contracts for: the BWC policy and the future financial value to the change in working conditions, should the Pilot Program move into a permanent program. Whether our detractors agree with our philosophy or not, this Union, your Union now has a deal on the books that has been heralded across this country as “ground breaking” and even now other Unions across the country are using it to benefit themselves in new negotiations See President on page 5