Treasurer Marty Halloran and I recently traveled back to the Boston/Cambridge area where we had been invited to participate in another round of meetings and seminars with the fifty largest law enforcement unions in the US and Canada. The annual conference is held at the venerable Harvard Law School, and the topics are specific to the state of, and future of, salaries, working conditions, and technology that effect police work in this country. These seminars are a wonderful opportunity to collect strategies and make comparisons of important aspects of law enforcement labor representation.
Again, we were shocked by the tumultuous state of labor situations that exist in virtually every other large police department in America. Most of the union reps who attended share the same concerns, yet there was not an easily understood consensus on how to address common issues. Those issued looming largest were pension reform, actual or threatened layoffs, hiring freezes, salary givebacks, and civilianization.
I am happy to report that the SFPOA is doing relatively well – even very well in some aspects -- particularly when compared to almost any other big city union represented at the pow-wow. We have been able to avoid layoffs and have been able to realize net pay increases at a time when many cities are negotiating actual pay decreases. With the recent passing of Proposition “C,” we have fundamentally addressed most of the fiscal issues surrounding the hot-button topic of pension reform, and were able to do it in a collaborative effort with other labor unions and city hall.
Again, I reiterate; the SFPOA is leagues ahead of the struggling, sometimes flailing unions that are dealing with these issues from coast to coast.
We were asked many questions about our strategy and our alliances, and how we were able to withstand not one but two billionaire assaults on our pension system.
As I have explained so many times, I credit our success to the development of key civic and labor relationships. Our ability to work cooperatively with Mayor Ed Lee and San Francisco civic leaders is vital to our credibility with politicians and voters. We are not perceived as obstructionists, but rather as partners in the effort to balance this city’s economic load. We are seen as an entity willing to shoulder our share of the burden.
It was very apparent at the seminar that many other union leaders in the US do not enjoy this sort of relationship with the powers that be. In fact, the opposite is often the case, with union leaders and stubborn politicians facing off nose-to-nose, neither side willing to budge. That is clearly not a practical way to negotiate. More than one of the union leaders complained of not even being able to get a return phone call from their mayor, much less meet with him or her several times each month to work through issues big and small. How sad that is, and how fortunate we are to enjoy a respectful entree into our City Hall.
We are a model for other cities that decide to tackle the problem collaboratively rather than in a confrontational setting. As most of you are aware the stability of our organization, and our department, have made the SFPD a destination spot for new recruits. The president of the San Jose Police Officers Association is actively encouraging his officers to seek employment in our department because of our stable environment.
I was asked to give a presentation at the conference and I was honored to do so. If someone told me ten years ago that I would one day be lecturing at the Harvard Law School I would have gotten a good laugh out of that image. I don’t shy away from any podium, but I have to admit that I’m not what one would ever call an Ivy League guy. Nonetheless, my invitation to speak before my peers demonstrates the respect the SFPOA has been able to garnish nation-wide because of our accomplishments and approach to difficult challenges.
The SFPOA is known throughout the country as one of the most progressive, successful, and well-run police unions in the country, and for that we are proud. The lectures from other union leaders, as well as Harvard professors, were all consistent in their tone. This is no time for union negotiators to be drawing a line in the sand. This is a time to protect the wages and benefits of our people while at the same time working with our respective city governments to find solutions that do not adversely affect our members, but at the same time find solutions to keep our local economies healthy in these very difficult times. Our members should be very proud of the work we do! We have never been viewed more favorably by those we serve, and the union can only be successful when the cops on the street are doing the job.
Of course, we who lead this organization are nothing without the backing of our membership. There is nothing that we have gained, no benefit that we enjoy that would be possible without your confidence and support. Thank you for your commitment, and thank you for your service.
