Many people at the Arizona Department of Public Safety aren’t exactly sure what “Meet and Confer” is, nor are they aware how meet and confer affects the employees at DPS. The FOP along with the Arizona Labor Council understand that educating and training employees in the bargaining process is paramount for DPS employees.
In October of 2004 the FOP and the Arizona Labor Council sent four DPS employees to a 4-day training session dealing with collective bargaining. I was one of the DPS employees in attendance at this training seminar along with representatives from Police agencies from around the country. This intense training initiated DPS employees into the realm of collective bargaining. The training culminated with the actual negotiation of a mock police contract.
The wealth of knowledge and experience of the FOP instructors was immeasurable. The Federal Government even had a Department of Labor representative present who provided instruction. The FOP was credited by Andrew Siff of the Department of Labor in getting US Labor laws rewritten to increase Police Officers' benefits. Mr. Siff further commented that , “The Fraternal Order of Police is the only relevant Police organization in America.”
The instructor’s real world experiences and guidance in negotiations will prove to be invaluable to our organization in the future.
The training that I attended is only one type of training that the FOP provided to its members. Other DPS employees have attended other FOP sponsored training.
The employees of the Department of Public Safety will have to ask themselves who they want to represent them when dealing with labor issues. The FOP has already provided training to our employees in labor issues and will continue to do so in the future.
John Ortolano, Vice President
Arizona FOP Lodge 32
THE FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE IS THE BEST KNOWN AND MOST RESPECTED NAME IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
The Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police represents more than 318,000 law enforcement officers in every region of the country. We are not only the oldest and largest law enforcement labor organization, but also the most widely recognized and respected.
The FOP’s Labor Services Office keeps the FOP at the fore front in labor issues and keeps labor at the top of the list when it comes to what the FOP is involved in nationally. Out of the 75 largest cities in the US the FOP represents 27 and that number continues to grow. The FOP has a Labor Services Department staffed with some of the top labor professionals in the country. This staff has over 100 years of experience used to assist our members everyday with labor questions, helping all the lodges with their labor needs.
A recent review of the twelve major law enforcement groups in the news during 2004 showed that the Fraternal Order of Police remains the most frequently mentioned organization for the fourth straight year. The review was conducted using Lexis-Nexis ™, and examined twelve different organizations representing rank-and-file officers and law enforcement executives at the Federal, State and local levels from 1 January to 31 December 2004. During this period, the Fraternal Order of Police was cited in over 4,200 different articles. The next closest organization, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, was mentioned in just over 800 articles.
In addition to being the most well-known and widely cited law enforcement organization in the U.S. media, the Fraternal Order of Police is also the number one voice of law enforcement on Capitol Hill and the most influential and visible voice for law enforcement in Washington, D.C.
At the core of the National Legislative Program is the Steve Young Memorial Law Enforcement Legislative Advocacy Center, the F.O.P.’s permanent headquarters located on Capitol Hill. The F.O.P. maintains a very high profile as the premier voice of police officers nationwide with a full-time professional staff engaged in the day-to-day activities of Congress and the Administration.
F.O.P. leaders frequently testify before Congress on legislation of critical importance to law enforcement officers. Decision-makers in the Administration often consult the collective experience of the F.O.P. in crafting national law enforcement policy. No other law enforcement organization is as widely consulted by the Federal government or the media for our views on law enforcement issues.
