Our Police Union Finally Does something Right

[Pedro56]

Police union won't back Daley
Joins Federation of Labor in sitting out race

January 24, 2007
BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter

For the third time in the last week, Mayor Daley has been denied a union endorsement, underscoring his strained relationship with organized labor.

The Fraternal Order of Police on Tuesday joined the Chicago Federation of Labor in taking a pass on the mayor's race. Earlier this week, the Chicago Firefighters Union Local 2 endorsed mayoral challenger Dorothy Brown.

Daley and the FOP have never seen eye-to-eye -- even though the mayor has spent 18 years crusading against gangs, guns and drugs and was a law-and-order state's attorney.

During the Daley years, police contracts have routinely gone to arbitration. The FOP has complained about police manpower shortages, mistakes made by the city's computerized payroll system and blocked Daley's plan to strip officers of their right to direct traffic at Bears games and other lakefront events.

Upset over appointments

The union also filed a lawsuit seeking rebates for retirees billed more for health insurance than a court order allows.

But Tuesday's non-endorsement is about more than past beefs, according to FOP President Mark Donahue.

He said it's about a mayor who jumps to conclusions on allegations of police misconduct and named two people "who have shown nothing but disrespect" for police officers to the panel that will select the new director of the Office of Professional Standards. Donahue was referring to the appointments of the Rev. Michael Pfleger and Andre Grant.

David Axelrod, the mayor's political consultant, attributed the FOP's non-endorsement to the "natural tension" between a mayor and city unions caused by budget constraints.

fspielman@suntimes.com

[BEB]

strip officers of their right

Warm up the cannon, there's another reporter needing a firing.

Police Officers don't have more or fewer rights than anyone else.