БогородицаMany of you may have seen the story on WRAL, “Teamsters blasts the leadership with RPD during the accreditation hearing”, let me be clear that this is not an attempt to prevent us from being an accredited police dept.   This is about showing CALEA where our police department has deficiencies.  As we all know transparency and accountability is extremely important within any police department.   Our members have conveyed to us that the promotional process is not objective, that the disciplinary process does not give police officers due process, and that Chief Dolan has no interest in feedback from the rank and file.

Over the past 8 months there have been 6 police officers placed on administrative leave with little to no evidence to prove any wrong doing.  As police officers we have rights and we should not be treated like second class citizens.  If an officer is placed on administrative leave and his/her career is in jeopardy than IA should have sufficient evidence to prove some type of policy violation.  We currently have at least 3 members who are on administrative leave, one who has been out of work for close to six months, another one that is completely innocent of any wrong doing.  When will IA be held accountable for their actions?  How far will he go before all of us recognize that there needs to be checks and balances?

For those of you who say we chose the wrong forum, I would argue we have tried all other forums but have not been heard.  For those of you who fear we have placed federal funding in jeopardy, I would argue that job security for our members is more important than federal funds.  Our goal as a union is to protect all members’ rights, benefits, and working conditions.  What we have heard at our membership meetings is this is what the members want.  If you disagree with our tactics please let me know but also remember that your voice cannot be heard if you do not attend our membership meetings.

Next meeting 12-20-2011, 1900 hrs at Teamster Union Hall.

lawsuit

The message board is now live. You can visit it at http://messageboard.rppalocal391.org

иконописПравославни икониPerhaps it is possible that the beliefs contained in the following pages do not meet with the overwhelming approval of “the troops”. The funny thing is a long standing habit of not thinking that something is WRONG, gives it the superficial appearance of being RIGHT. It also at first raises a formidable outcry in defense of custom, but the disturbance soon subsides.

It is important to remember that time makes more converts than does reason. A lengthy abuse of power is generally what calls the thing thought to be RIGHT into question, particularly in matters which might never have been thought of had “the troops” not been aggravated into questioning it.
Questioning the abuse of power is permissible when a leader does nothing to safeguard his people, their natural rights or their interests. Make a note!

The idle and fearful will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their cause; but those that will stand by it now, deserve the gratitude of all. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; but we have this consolation, the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. Many servants have been enlisted in an effort to enforce this tyranny upon us. A declaration that they have the right to set a professional rate and bind us in All Cases Whatsoever has been proclaimed. This perverse hypocrisy has perhaps even temporarily flourished.

We have not made proper use of the last four years, nor could we, while we were in this dependent state. We were lulled into a false sense of security by the misrepresentations regarding off duty, the ulterior motives behind over investment and the distortion over what constitutes increased professionalism. The fault however is all our own; we have no one to blame but ourselves. We fell for the smoke and mirrors, but do not fear, all is not lost.

The recent actions that have been undertaken are clearly an attempt to eradicate the union rather than control it, regardless of what was told to WRAL and are nothing that time and a carefully calculated response won’t soon repair.
It is surprising to see how rapidly panic will sometimes run through an organization. Yet panics, in some cases have their uses; they produce as much good as hurt. Their duration is always short, because they lack true substance, but more importantly they afford “the troops” the opportunity to review the true facts and hold them up publicly for the world to see. That day my friend’s is quickly drawing near. I believe that Mike Nifong thought that he was right too until it began to spiral out of control. Does anyone recall how that situation ended?

The footmen are merely cowards serving their master and the servile, slavish foundation of self-interest rooted in fear. Keep in mind that the way we deal with this is of the utmost importance. If we appear divided, it is an invitation for the retaliation to continue. I believe that he thinks you all respect and admire him and are fully supportive of him. Remember that your opinions are of no use to him, unless you support him personally, because it’s lackeys that he wants.
There are those among us who do not see the full extent of what is occurring or the extent to which they are being threatened. They take solace in the hope that if his attack upon the union is successful he will be merciful. To expect mercy from those who clearly believe “Win at all costs” is crazy. When conquest is the prize, the cunning of the fox is as murderous as the violence of the wolf, and we need to guard equally against both.

I thank God that I do not fear this situation. I do not see any real cause for fear. I as you see the situation for what it is and can see the way out of it. Very soon the public will see this situation and this organization for what it really is.

One purpose, one voice.

Fellow Members,

Yesterday the City Council passed the budget that will include a onetime $500 bonus for all city employees. Unfortunately there will be no range adjustment or merit raises and our health insurance premiums will still increase. While this bonus is small it is better than what the city manager’s proposed budget was. We now must start preparing for the fight over next year’s budget. It is undetermined at this time what Mr. Allen will propose but from what he has shown us in the past it is highly unlikely there will be any raises in next year’s budget. Our first step in preparing for this is to screen candidates running for city council in October. We must only endorse those candidates that will fight to make sure we are compensated fairly. It is extremely important that we work hard to get the candidate we support elected. I will keep you all updated on our candidate screening, a very important process in achieving agenda.

Rick Armstrong

икониFellow Members,

I want to remind everyone our next meeting will be this Saturday, Dec. 18, 10:00 a.m. at the Teamster Union Hall on Angus Dr. We will have an RPPA meeting immediately following the Teamster meeting. We will discuss the issues we raised with Chief Dolan last month. Please make every effort to attend the meeting.

Thanks for your support.

Rick Armstrong

Fellow Members,

Yesterday morning two of our members were involved in a line of duty shooting. Both officers received immediate union representation and our legal attorneys were present within an hour of the incident. I have spoken to both attorneys and they are confident that our members acted appropriately. Please continue to support these members during the investigation.
I want to thank Lee Davis who contacted me as soon as he arrived on the scene. I also want to encourage all members to contact Eric DeSimone (235-2607), Derek Dike(369-2603), or me(427-1300) as soon as possible if there is an officer related shooting. One of us will be able to respond to the scene and provide legal representation in the most efficient manner.

Our next RPPA meeting is Wednesday, Nov. 3, 1900 hrs at the Teamster Union Hall. We will discuss the current promotion process, future promotion processes, off-duty employment, workers compensation issues, and officer involved shootings. If you have concerns on any of these issues please be sure to attend. Our strength derives from the support of the rank and file of our membership. We will schedule a meeting with Chief Dolan following our membership meeting.

Thanks for your support.

Rick Armstrong

I want to welcome the 18 of the 19 recruits who joined the Raleigh Police Protective Association today. Our membership now stands at 543 members strong and growing. I would also like to thank Chris Gay, Reuben Young, and Dan Rosa(brother of Chaz) in helping to organize the 101st. The next Teamsters membership meeting will be Saturday, September 18, 1000 am at the Teamsters Union Hall on Angus Dr. The next Raleigh Police Protective Association meeting will be Wednesday, October 6, 1900 hrs at the Teamster Union Hall.

Thanks for all your support.

Rick Armstrong

Fellow Members,

Eric and I met with the Chief on Monday. We discussed the recent loss of several off-duty jobs due to the new contract. The Chief stated he would call several off-duty employers to clarify the contract with them and determine why they no longer want to hire Raleigh police officers. We discussed several of the off-duty employers he made contact with and provided correct information to these employers about the new contract. There appears to be some misinformation about how the contract reads and what requirements the employer must adhere to. Our goal as a union, is for officers to have as much off-duty employment as possible and to secure as many jobs as possible. It is clear the Chief did make an effort to get these off-duty jobs back for us.

I know we have lost a good deal of off-duty jobs but I have not heard of too many complaints of the lack of off-duty. If you have lost off-duty jobs and are not able to find other off-duty please let me know. I am concerned about what may happen to off-duty when the hourly rate is increased to $35. At the same time I do believe we deserve that rate of pay. Please let me know if you are in need of off-duty. I am attempting to gauge where we stand with off-duty.

We also discussed extra duty through the city, or through federal grants. This is similar to off-duty and is a great opportunity for officers to take advantage of overtime pay, something we have not seen at the Raleigh police department in a long time. The Chief said he believes this extra duty will continue to be available for officers in the future and may even become more abundant.

Finally, I am considering to reschedule the RPPA meeting days and time. Please give me some feedback on days and times that may accommodate your schedule if you will like to attend more meetings. The Teamster Local 391 meeting will be Saturday, Sept. 18, 10:00 a.m. at the Teamster Union Hall.

Thanks for your support.

Rick Armstrong

Fellow Members,

Last week I sent an email out regarding the proposed budget. While the budget was not what we had hoped for it did maintain some of our important benefits including the educational incentive and longevity pay, both were on the table for possible elimination. From your responses and what we discussed at the union meeting last week we determined it was best not to request any additional raises this year. Tonight, I will speak in front of the council with Keith Wilder, IAFF President to discuss a long term plan to help reduce our health insurance costs. These costs have consistently gone up every year for the past several years. It is important that our unions work with the city to develop a strategy to lower these rising costs. Our local has worked with other companies in the past to lower health insurance costs. Both the union and the city need work in collaboration to make this happen. Our goal tonight is to begin that relationship.

Thanks for your support.

Rick Armstrong