Posted: 12/8/2001 1:18:58 AM EDT
| The FOP is usually anti-gun. Most of the cops I know are extremely pro-gun. Why don't you guys do something about it and kick out that fat-cats who speak for you? |
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I do not belong to the FOP but a similar organization. We have no control over the top guys. They are appointed by their cronies and heads of local unions. Some actually have a board of directors whom they appoint and the board later on in the year re-appoint the top guys. How much control does your shop have over its national heads? Probably a similar situation. There is no direct vote system here-it is a political power system all the way. And yes- when I sent a letter to my national board about their practices and asking for a direct vote on issues- the response I got was that the board does what they feel is best for the membership. Some unions are very good, some are not. I have the misfortune to belong to a bad one. And I can not get out- if I do I can not work-closed shop rules. So....hpoe this answered your question somewhat. Got any ideas? |
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Mike. This was our answer to a union that had no interest in looking after Correctional Officers and was in bed with the government. We left and formed our own union. By Correctional Officers, for Correctional Officers, top to bottom,100%. Included in our constitution is a clause for the removal from office for any member of any executive from the local level to the national level. We are only 8 months old but have accomplished more in 8 months then the previous union did in 8 years. It was a long hard road to get here full of blood (literally) sweat and tears but we did it. Here is the link to our web page. [url]http://www.csn.qc.ca/uccosacc/uccosaccFrSet.html[/url] |
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We talked about that. A lot of people are interested due to the poor leadership and very poor quality of legal representation offered. But- that is a major stumbling block- we need a lawyer on retainer. We have more than enough money in our accounts to do so, but if we dump our union- they national gets all assets!!! What a legal theft! We don't want to take the chance and have someone who needs help get screwed. How did you handle this part? BTW- I like your Eagle/Weasel thing!! |
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LOL Thanks. The 2 Correctional Officers who's brainchild this was approached CSN (La Confédération des syndicats nationaux). They are in the business of organizing unions. They have all the resources that a union who wants to break away would need. Legal,media,labour experts,etc. I don't know if you have such an organization in the States or not. CSN is based in Quebec. We went with them because one of their policies that was important to us is :The union owns it's charter. Our previous union was an affiliate of a larger one that owned our charter. So..they had total control. Here is link that has some info. Unfortunately most of the CSN site is in french. we are their first National Public Service union and they had/have to make a lot of changes in their organization in regards to language. [url]http://www.csn.qc.ca/Pageshtml/OrgDepEngFrSet.html[/url] If you want I can contact my national office and see if they are aware of any organization in the US like the CSN. They did a lot of research before they went with CSN and might know of someone. |
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Quoted: The FOP is usually anti-gun. Most of the cops I know are extremely pro-gun. Why don't you guys do something about it and kick out that fat-cats who speak for you? Or they could do like I did. In 1996 when the national FOP endorsed Klinton for president, a guy who despises law enforcement, I resigned and haven't been back since. Just think if all of the members did the same thing. We would get their attention. In my case I got no one's attention but I could sleep better at night. |
| Just look at the leadership. Most are from Major urban departments, Columbus PD has had a monopoly on the presidency since I can remember. This being the case their firearms experience basically goes like this. Cops have guns, bad guys have guns, a few people out in the country (ie Somewhere else), might occaisionally use guns for hunting. This is simply a product of their experience. They therefore assume that all other cops actually feel the same way, or are simply misinformed and since they are from the provinces really don't know any better and should be helped to a more enlightened way of thinking. |
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Quoted: Mike. This was our answer to a union that had no interest in looking after Correctional Officers and was in bed with the government. We left and formed our own union. By Correctional Officers, for Correctional Officers, top to bottom,100%. Included in our constitution is a clause for the removal from office for any member of any executive from the local level to the national level. We are only 8 months old but have accomplished more in 8 months then the previous union did in 8 years. It was a long hard road to get here full of blood (literally) sweat and tears but we did it. Here is the link to our web page. [url]http://www.csn.qc.ca/uccosacc/uccosaccFrSet.html[/url] Striker, This is VERY good: [url]http://www.csn.qc.ca/uccosacc/DrumhellerEng.html[/url] An honest assessment of a corrections incident....who'd thunk it? |
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Quoted: FOP SUCKS I agree 100% !!! I quit contributing to these "so-called" Police organizations, PERIOD ! You can't trust them one bit. The folks that get to the top of these organizations are way to political, if you know what I mean. I am really impressed with the LEAA. Very pro-gun; for every law abiding citizen. Check em out: [url]http://www.leaa.org[/url] |
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I don't know. FOP mainly seems to be East Coast thing. In Texas, labor groups (the efeective ones) mainly deal with pay, benefits and employment law, which, in my opinion, is what they should be doing and what I pay my dues for. IACP takes the occasional anti-gun stance (although that is changing), but chiefs are politicians first, and I think IACP is dominated by east coast administrators. Rank and file around here likes their guns. |
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Quoted: Striker, This is VERY good: [url]http://www.csn.qc.ca/uccosacc/DrumhellerEng.html[/url] An honest assessment of a corrections incident....who'd thunk it? This is just the tip of the iceberg Who_Me. One of the biggest problems with our job is the fact John Q Public has no idea what we do. They think we either sit on our butts all day watching a monitor or we beat inmates all day with batons. We are going to inform John Q Public exactly what we do,go through,deal with and why they should be very concerned with how the prison system is being run. |
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Griz, We have both the FOP and PBA at our department. I don't believe either one is particularly anti-gun. Now the IACP is a different story, mainly because the upper echelon leo jobs are so politically driven. Mayors, city managers, etc., often use the leo branches of government as their main pulpit to showcase their administration. At other times we seem to be their primary whipping boy. Mike |
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A idea, or thought to chew on. I worked in law enforcement for a number of years AND was a directing business rep. for a union AND organized a police dept via the Machinists Union (of all things, but they needed a union bad).....so in reading your thoughts ....my thoughts would be: 1. You are so right about the F.O.P. and the anti gun attitude. 2. A solution will require inovation due to the nature of the F.O.P. 3. Considering the problem and the fact that a new union probably wouldn't hurt....ask the NRA to assist you in starting a pro gun police union. They have the interest, the money and the desire. The NRA is absolutely pro cop, period. They are a non-profit organization which is exactly what a union is! Of course a charter has to be developed and all that...but this is not as hard as you believe. In other words...get assistance from the NRA to help with forming a union that is pro gun. I believe they would help. Anyway......think about this...it was the first thought that came to mind......maby good ....maby not....but worthy of discussion. kind regards Paul Prochko |