The Boston Police Department requires applicants for officer positions to be screened for drug use via a hair sample test. The Department outsources the testing of hair samples for illegal narcotic use to Psychemedics Corporation, a company that has licensed laboratories in approximately 22 states. The bulk of Psychemedics’s work consists of testing hair samples […]
Local 1953 of the International Association of Firefighters represents the firefighters who work for Perkins Township in Ohio. When the parties were unable to reach agreement on a new contract the matter was referred to “binding conciliation,” the phrase Ohio uses to describe binding arbitration. When the Township challenged the Arbitrator’s award, the matter wound […]
BOYNTON BEACH — The city’s firefighters union is pushing for more emphasis on mental health after losing an officer to suicide. “One of our brothers passed away of this disease,” said Shawn Weeks, president of Local 1891, the union that represents Boynton’s paramedics and firefighters. “Nobody thought this was gonna happen.” Noting Boynton’s fallen officer will […]
LINCOLN, Neb. — Overcrowded, understaffed and arguably underpaid: Corrections workers in Nebraska are making more money at the county level, and that means more competition for the state. The Nebraska Department of Corrections has tried to offset a staffing emergency within the prison system. The department offered sign-on bonuses and just agreed on a new […]
CITY OF NEWBURGH — When the clock struck midnight on Tuesday to signal the end of 2019, it also brought an end to the jobs of several police officers and firefighters in the City of Newburgh. The city started the year with 26 fewer first responders after scheduled layoffs went into effect. City Manager Joe […]
The Policemen’s Benevolent Labor Committee represents police officers working for the City of Sparta, Illinois. On January 13, 2013, the City put into place a new performance evaluation policy. The policy used a system of monthly activity points to track and evaluate the performance of the Department’s officers. All full-time officers were required to meet […]
Mayor Jim Kenney’s reception room was packed Monday with veterans of the city’s political class: City Council members. Cabinet officials. Aides and observers. But at the center of the ornate space stood a woman who will have as much influence over the city’s future as any of them. And as she introduced herself to the […]
Lodge 1 of the Fraternal Order of Police represents officers of the Pittsburgh Police Department. On January 19, 2018, the City implemented Order 69-03 “Body Worn Camera (BWC) Recording and Digital Evidence Stored System.” The order mandated the use of body worn cameras and established guidelines and procedures for utilization of body worn cameras by […]
NEW BEDFORD — In a direct appeal to the public, the president of the city’s police union has scathingly criticized both Police Chief Joseph Cordeiro and Mayor Jon Mitchell. In a written statement, Officer Hank Turgeon of the New Bedford Police Union talked of Cordeiro’s “incompetence” and said the mayor had once again “brushed aside” […]
Michael Marciano is an officer with the Los Angeles Police Department. In 2014 and 2015, Marciano was a patrol officer in the North Hollywood Division. Marciano had problems with his supervisors, his performance, his purported lack of issuing citations, and his desire to be assigned to a partner the Department wished to separate him from […]
Franklin Hernandez was both a police officer with the City of Perth Amboy, New Jersey Police Department and a member of the New Jersey Army National Guard. In May 2014, Hernandez received orders mobilizing him to active duty and he was deployed to Qatar. Although fraternization between non-commissioned officers and junior enlisted soldiers was prohibited, […]
In a “meet-and-confer” environment, an employer has the right to break a contract impasse by unilaterally implementing its last best offer. What is not often recognized is that the only thing an employer can implement are changes to issues that are mandatory for bargaining. An employer has no right to unilaterally implement a waiver, as […]
Local 46 of the International Association of Fire Fighters represents firefighters, paramedics, captains, and the battalion and assistant chiefs working for the City of Everett, Washington. Since 1974, a provision in Local 46’s collective bargaining agreement established a minimum number of firefighters on duty for each shift. In 2014, the City and Local 46 engaged […]
Thomas Monroe worked as a corrections officer with the Florida Department of Corrections. Monroe was diagnosed with PTSD and requested an indefinite leave of absence. Shortly thereafter, the Department terminated his employment. Monroe sued, claiming he was the victim of disability discrimination. The federal 11th Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed and dismissed Monroe’s lawsuit. The […]
Local 4725 of the IAFF represents the five full-time firefighters in the City of Brainerd, Minnesota. In 2010, the City experienced a budget deficit following a decrease in both property tax values and state aid. The City attempted to restructure its fire department by replacing its full-time firefighter positions and their duties with paid on-call […]
From 1988 to the summer of 2016, the City of Philadelphia did not have a policy regulating or restricting tattoos for police officers applying for a position with or during their tenure as officers for the City. During the summer of 2016, the Democratic National Convention was held at the Philadelphia Convention Center. During the […]
