A Quarter Century of Cato Research on Police Accountability

Actually the Unions everywhere were needed due to the abuse by Management. Even in the Senior USAF NCO Academy it attribute 85% of labor problem to abuse by management. I did hold elected office in a Police Union for over 20 years. I was also elected two terms as the State Council 351, AFL-CIO for the Police Union and saw the abuses. There were some Officers that by their own actions should not have been there and the best We could do was try to keep them out of jail but the job was beyond saving.

I was on the State Executive Board of the Union to decide just how far We could go to represent some wayward Police Officers or those that had been screwed over by the local or state Government management. Most cases were in that category. Are there abuses from Unions ? Yes, there are but usually its not the officers but the management that are the problem in the civilian world. Many cases the cities and town had to pay the damages to officers that had been wrongfully terminated and the were reinstated and Chief of Police in a number those terminated and others fulled against I have certainly seen Officers that should not have been on the job and Yes they do make it difficult for the majority that performed their duties properly. I have seen Police Officer that did go to jail and deserved to. There are collective agreement between both the Union and Management and if an impasse over any issue comes its wise to have binding arbitration where the hearing party is selected by agreement by both sides and what He decides is final.

I have also worked the management end in the civilian world with over 350 employees under My direct management control, In the Military as well civilian employees. Thing can't be allowed to run out of control but the bottom line is being reasonable and Yes I have terminated the employment of people but for just cause. Having been both a Union Official as well as Management at different points I think May give Me a pretty good perspective on both sides.

Excellent input SMSgt Lawrence McCarter. Thank you for your insight. As with most things you can find good and bad. My intent was not to criticize unions as a whole, just to point out that good intentions can sometimes lead to bad outcomes such as police departments' inability to address bad behavior or lack of transparency.