PAX Centurion - Fall 2016

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • Fall 2016 • Page 5 Vice President’s Message: Michael F. Leary, BPPA Vice President The BPPA is always working for you! From President on page 3 AMessage fromthePresident… S ince writing my last article, there had hardly been a dull moment for the BPPA. As you know, the first month of the body worn camera pilot program is almost over. I’d like to say to the 100 officers chosen to wear the cameras, we all stand behind you. I know that might not mean much, but at least know that I am sincere in saying it. We fought the good fight, with the fight ending in court. There were a few small victories for us, one being getting what we deemed as necessary “language” into the agreement. At first, officers were not even going to be allowed to view any of their camera’s footage. Also, it is my understanding that BPD is the first department in the nation to offer any compensation whatsoever to officers for wearing a camera. When it seems that that every battle we face is an uphill one, it is important to remember these small victories and to remember that your union is working for you even though the end results aren’t always the best case scenarios. Issues surrounding officer’s annual drug test continue. It seems that in the past, there was a much more accommodating approach to the process. For example, if an officer was within the proper time frame and happened to be at headquarters, they used to be able to get their test done then, as opposed to waiting for the exact day of their scheduled appointment. I personally took advantage of that option several times because I am always anxious to get to the barber after growing out my hair in order to have a sufficient amount. Now, you are turned away. Officers who have been having hair taken from their chest or armpits for years are now being told there is not enough and to start growing their head and facial hair. It sounds easy enough, but for many, it is not. Some officers have head and facial hair that only grows in patches and when they go back with those patches, feeling like they look ridiculous, often they are told it is still not enough. And regardless of an officer’s efforts, if the time frame runs out and it is decided that a proper sample cannot be cut, an IAD complaint is generated. Many of our female officers wear their hair short, it is my understanding that it used to be okay for them to request a particular M.I.S. employee they felt comfortable with to perform the test. This is no longer allowed either. What may be the worst part of all these issues is that many of these changes are a result of policies implemented by the director of M.I.S. who is no longer even there but instead placed on administrative leave. These policies made an already stressful and uncomfortable experience for many of our members even more unpleasant. The majority of our officers come and go from their drug test without incident, but it seems more and more are calling with complaints. While I understand that the M.I.S. employees probably never imagined that hair dressing would be a large part of their job description and I understand that this part of their job is not simple, I hope we can resolve some of the concerns the BPPA has with the process. Labor Relations seems open to working with us on this, so I am hopeful. In the meantime, please reach out to me or your representative with any questions. This is a requirement of our employment but I do not see why it should be distressing one. With the contract having expired in June, bargaining sessions are a top priority. The first ones we had since the expiration were not productive, however, I see now that we are heading in the right direction. We are pushing for better equipment in the districts, including tasers, rifles for patrolmen, ballistic helmets and ballistic shields. We are also pushing for more officers to be hired. I hope that young men and women out there realize that this job is a great one, despite what many out there today would have you believe. Stay safe! and are now being compensated for their respective change in working conditions in their own BWC programs. Even with all of this said, our challenge to the Pilot Program was about the City “Ordering Officers” to participate, that legal fight continues through the grievance process and will eventually be heard by an arbitrator, what was denied was an injunction to “keep the status quo” until such time as an arbitrator hears our case. I will not attempt to debate the pros and cons of a BWC program or continue to defend what we did in reaching an agreement to do exactly what we were elected to do. I will simply state that I believe history will show that we did the right thing and we managed to get the best possible outcome for the majority of our membership. Knowing that with the aforesaid, we still have many members that are not happy that they were chosen for the ‘Pilot Program’ and there is nothing that we can legally do at this point in time to change that. Speaking of equipment, we have been promised by the Department and the City administration that they are actively pricing out and purchasing ballistic helmets, ballistic blankets, upgraded bullet-resistant vests or ballistic plates for vests for issue to our membership. We have been promised that they have worked out an agreement with the Superior Officers Federation to field patrol rifles to the ‘Patrol Supervisors’ along with outfitting the PS cruisers with the needed supplies outlined in previous requests. They will study the need for additional patrol rifles and develop plans for future deployment if they deem it necessary. Not the panacea we were hoping for, but it’s at least a start and an acknowledgement of our calls for help. Time will tell, hopefully their word is good and they follow through with their initial promises. We are actively involved in negotiating a successor collective bargaining agreement. As you are aware, our current contract expired on June 30, 2016 and we have met with the City of Boston labor & negotiating team several times; both before and since the expiration of the current contract. As we stated when we ran for office, it is our sincere hope and desire that we can achieve a negotiated offer of a contract that we deem worthy of your review and ultimate vote. Far too many years have gone by where you, the membership, have not had the opportunity to decide on the acceptance your own contract. However, we will never waiver in our public statement that we will always choose the path that best represents our membership. As always, I ask that you all look out for each other. Please back each other up at every call. Continue to check on each other during those long shifts. This job becomes more dangerous each and every day.Your number one priority has to be to get home safely to your loved ones each and every day! God Bless, stay safe!