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Columbus Police Should Share the Load

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Started 3 years ago by jawjack187
Latest reply from UncommonSense

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jawjack187
Columbus
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From the Columbus Dispatch
Editorial: Share the load
Columbus police should do their part to help city balance budget
Friday, January 30, 2009 2:59 AM

The city of Columbus faces a budget crisis that requires sacrifice from everyone. The police union's refusal to recognize that is unconscionable, considering the sacrifices that other city employees and the taxpayers of Columbus are making in a difficult time.

The decision by the Fraternal Order of Police to twist Mayor Michael B. Coleman's reasonable request for a voluntary pay freeze into an unfair-labor-practices charge is downright arrogant.

Most areas of city government already have felt the squeeze of bad economic times.

Read more below:

http://www.dispatchpolitics.com/live/content/editorials/stories/2009/01/30/fop.ART_ART_01-30-09_A8_3FCNHAQ.html?adsec=politics&sid=101

Geesh, it's not like we are asking them to actually live in Columbus...

Posted 3 years ago #
Coremodels
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Yet another example of why I think unions are an outdated concept. I find it impossible to believe that the membership, if asked one by one, would select the risk of losing their job all together vs. not getting a raise.

Posted 3 years ago #
jawjack187
Columbus
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I don't think they are outdated, but they should have put it to a vote. Fire voted, and you see what we got. I wonder what type of pressure the union leadership is getting now that the officers are being made to look greedy. I would bet that if voted on, we would see a different result.

Posted 3 years ago #
joev
Merion Village
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I heard a cop complaining about no raises inside Giant Eagle the other day. He sounded completely greedy. When other people on the city payroll are getting laid off, taking salary reductions or have agreed to no raises, it's completely unreasonable for cops to hold out. Yes, I respect that cops put their lives on the line to protect the rest of us, but it's not like they were forced into that job. Also, if you want sympathy, then don't bitch and moan to customers in the grocery store while in uniform. Go catch a drug dealer.

Posted 3 years ago #
Mercurius
First Avenue
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How much do cops make?

Posted 3 years ago #
Coremodels
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233,881,478 is the personnel cost for police for 2009. There's 1909 officers.

Posted 3 years ago #
lifeliberty
Here
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not enough. off the top of my head I'd say 30-40K if you are earlier in your career.

Not enough for me to to it. they can make good money doing special duty, security, and overtime.

Posted 3 years ago #
misskitty
Columbus
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Mercurius wrote >>
How much do cops make?

Officer's pay begins at $38,332 for the first year probationary period, with $40,360 being the base patrolman's salary thereafter. These figures are valid as of January 2007.

http://www.columbuspd.com/history.html

Posted 3 years ago #
Coremodels
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Yep, that's about right, with the average patrol officer earning around 50k

http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_salaryresults.asp?hdSearchByOption=0%2C+0&hdLocationOption=&hdKeyword=Police+Patrol+Officer&hdJobCategory=LG01&hdNarrowDesc=Fire%2C+Law+Enforcement%2C+and+Security&hdZipCode=43215&hdStateMetro=&hdGeoLocation=Columbus%2C+OH+43215&hdCurrentPage=&hdViewAllRecords=&hdJobCode=LG12000003&hdJobTitle=Police+Patrol+Officer&hdCurrentTab=1&hdZipCodePosted=&hdPaycheckCalc=&hdpageName=&hdOmniJobTitle=Police+Patrol+Officer&hdOmniNarrowDesc=Fire%2C+Law+Enforcement%2C+and+Security&op=salswz_psr&pagefrom=salaryresults&hdOmniState=OH&hdOmniGeoLocation=Columbus%2C+OH+43215&d50th=48779.92&jobcounter=&countertype=&totaljoblistnum=&wsrcode=SW1&educationcode1=&geo=Columbus%2C+OH+43215&metrocode=&geometrocode=&zipcode=43215&jobcode=LG12000003&narrowcode=LG01&state=OH&statecode=&r=salswz_salresnxt_psr&joblevelcode=1&jobfamilycode=&cmbEducation=&hdNarrowDesc=&hdAjaxDisplaySection1=1&hdAjaxDisplaySection2=&hdAjaxKeyword=Police+Patrol+Officer&hdAjaxKeywordWithOR=%23Police%23+OR+%23Patrol%23+OR+%23Officer%23

Posted 3 years ago #
joev
Merion Village
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That's awfully good for a job you don't need a bachelor's degree for.
ETA I see misskitty changed her posting - it's now fairly good rather than awfully good.

Posted 3 years ago #
lifeliberty
Here
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http://www.columbuspolice.org/Employment/RECRUIT.HTM#Police Officer Salary and Benefits

Posted 3 years ago #
berdawn
near that stretch of N. High Street in the Short North
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While I agree that the police should do as the firefighters, there are THREE other unions that have made the same decision:
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢Columbus Municipal Association of Government Employees, which represents professionals and midlevel managers across city department
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Locals 1632 and 2191 (AFSCME Local 2191 which represents workers at Columbus Public Health)
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢Columbus Municipal Association of Government Employees

Posted 3 years ago #
jawjack187
Columbus
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I wonder who all voted. I think the main factor in all of this is the Firefighters voted, and the others let their leadership make the decision. If you took a vote of the membership, it would surprise me if they did not all vote to same each others jobs. These are great people in these unions, and sometimes they get cast as something they are not due to the political side of negotiations. Hold a vote, and the true colors will come out.

Posted 3 years ago #
Coremodels
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I still fail to see any real value in unions in 2009. I do see a lot of potential and realized harm though.

Posted 3 years ago #
Mercurius
First Avenue
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jawjack187 wrote >>
I wonder who all voted. I think the main factor in all of this is the Firefighters voted, and the others let their leadership make the decision. If you took a vote of the membership, it would surprise me if they did not all vote to same each others jobs. These are great people in these unions, and sometimes they get cast as something they are not due to the political side of negotiations. Hold a vote, and the true colors will come out.

Better yet, we should be a right-to-work state and allow people to choose if they want to be in a Union.

Posted 3 years ago #
oicu812

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First off, I am no fan of union affiliation but I think the FOP was right to take Mayor Coleman to task on this request. I agree the police should indeed share in the city's budget woes, but the approach Coleman took was wrong in their regard.

The FOP is currently in contract negotiations with Columbus and the Mayor is making a public announcement about wages. He should have taken it to the groups negotioting the contract, instead of calling a news conference and announcing it. It was a grandstand ploy on Coleman's part.

But then again, I don't agree with the Mayor giving the unions a short timeline to make a decision. Let the individual unions meet with the rank & file and put it to a vote. It is not like Columbus got into this mess overnight, he should have worked behind the scenes with the unions instead of looking for a TV camera to announce his proposal.

Posted 3 years ago #
HeySquare
German Village
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This shouldn't have come as a surprise though... every union in the state has been dealing with this issue for months now. It's not like the budget problems have been a secret.

Posted 3 years ago #
mitchellosu
Merion Village
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Mercurius wrote >>

jawjack187 wrote >>
I wonder who all voted. I think the main factor in all of this is the Firefighters voted, and the others let their leadership make the decision. If you took a vote of the membership, it would surprise me if they did not all vote to same each others jobs. These are great people in these unions, and sometimes they get cast as something they are not due to the political side of negotiations. Hold a vote, and the true colors will come out.

Better yet, we should be a right-to-work state and allow people to choose if they want to be in a Union.

+1,000,000

Posted 3 years ago #
jawjack187
Columbus
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IMO you do have a right to choose. If it is a union shop, and you don't want to be in a union, don't work there. it's that simple. Nobody twisits your arm and makes you seek a job with a unionized company. It's not like it's public knowledge. Now, i know some folks get in the union and they end up not liking the environment. These individuals have a right to choose as well. They can quit and go somewhere else to work. The only unions I don't agree with are teachers unions that are against accountability.

Posted 3 years ago #
lifeontwowheels
Highland West
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Unless, due to economic or other circumstances, you're only choice is a union shop or no employment.

Posted 3 years ago #