FOP General Business Meeting 16 Jan 07

This is just an overview of the meeting:

It started out with a prayer for those members whom have died since the last meeting by name and we had a moment of silence in their honor, then The Pledge of Allegiance, and the winners of the scholarship checks. Then the officer’s reports:

Down in Springfield we will most likely make Pension portability our number one priority, along with compounding of the COLA increases, residency and retiree health care (see the list of $4.00 per 30 day supply of drugs from Wal-Mart on another post at this blog). There is a legislative committee meeting on the 25 of this month (Jan) to go over our priorities and which legislators to approach on our concerns.

There will be a National Day at the hill in Washington D.C. on the 13,14, and 15 of Feb to address our National concerns which include the Social Security reform bill, collective bargaining nationwide and also a discipline bill.

Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) invited Mark and Ted Street (State Lodge President) to join in Obama’s teleconference in which he announced the formation of an exploratory group prior to an announcement of a presidential run. Obama is reaching out early to the law enforcement community as he has done in the past when running for office. (ed note: Obama was the sponsor of the law which requires us to fill out those traffic stop cards and he purchased his current home at a savings of 300 grand with the help of indicted political fund raiser Tony Rezko)

The political action committee will be meeting Thursday and Friday to hear candidates request for endorsements in the upcoming aldermanic and mayoral election in Chicago, members may come to the lodge and watch but are not allowed to ask questions or make comments. Sixty candidates have requested our endorsement.

The board has selected our contract negotiating team and the list can be viewed on the Lodge website. The first meeting will be on 07 Feb 07 to go over the 85 pages of proposals from the membership which have been submitted over the past year and a half and to talk with the lawyers who will be assisting the team. The Lodge plans on being ready on 01 Apr 07, the first day we can begin negotiations with the City.

In answers to questions: Sgt test results should be out soon, due to the swearing in of the last class of sgt’s at the academy. The lodge is attempting to get 80% pension at 29 years and a day down at Springfield or to get the same as the State Troopers have which is 80% at 26 years and 8 months.

Officer Kevin Betovic 017th District asked why the finance department is not adhering to the law and paying officers and or not taking their time from them for training under 5 ILCS 325 The Military Leave Act which was passed in 2004. Officer Betovic believes that not enough is been done to let the membership know about this benefit and that the Lodge hasn’t done enough to get his time and money back to him.

The Department has informed the Lodge that 005th District is 10 officers short and that it was taking 10 officers from the 002nd District to cover that shortfall. Officers are detailed out of district for 90 days by reverse seniority, but no officers with 1st or 2nd period furlos were used.

The Lodge contacted the State OHSA to inspect the 025th District building. Numerous sightings were issued to the City, which has 15 days to respond to the issues or correct them in 30 days or start paying fines. Other police buildings will be inspected in the near future for other health code violations. This is being thru the State instead of by grievance as the State can fine the City for its inaction on this serious health matter.

FYI: 16 and 17 of May are the dates for the next firearms safety day at the Lodge, watch the website for more info. Tara overtime is on hold till April. If you use anything (crutches, cane etc) to help you walk for an injury, you do not have to report to the medical section. Both the Lodge and City have motions for summary judgment in for our case against the City for taking time due.

Officer John Tierney 016 Dist asked how much money was the Lodge paying for lawyers in two cases, one against Wayne Harje and Shawn Hallinan and the other in defense of a wrongful firing of a staff lawyer. Mark stated that it was inapproiet to comment as both cases are in court. I made a motion to withdraw our case against Wayne and Shawn but was ruled out of order and I withdrew my motion.