Whaler
12-02-2006, 11:39 PM
Stamford Police deny sickout
Blue Flu sickout?
By Zach Lowe
Staff Writer
Published December 1 2006
STAMFORD -- City officials said the police union's alleged sickout continued yesterday, while the union denied organizing any job action.
The alleged sickout, which would be a violation of state labor law, started on the midnight shift Tuesday when half the 26 officers scheduled to work called in sick, officials have said.
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Yesterday morning, 17 of 26 officers skipped work, said Dennis Murphy, the city's head labor negotiator. Of the absent officers, 10 called in sick, five said they were injured, one took a vacation day and one took a day off for a death in the family - even though the death occurred weeks ago, Murphy said.
The city will ask a judge to order an immediate end to the sickout. Officials also filed a complaint with the state Board of Labor Relations, Murphy said.
No officers called in sick for the 3 to 11 p.m. shift yesterday, but officials said that did not mean the alleged sickout was over. Only a few officers missed yesterday's afternoon shift, meaning there may be a pattern to the absences, city officials said.
The department has filled the minimum 18 slots required for each patrol shift since the alleged sickout began, officials have said.
A prolonged sickout could cost the city thousands in overtime payments to officers required to fill out the empty patrol spots on each shift, officials said.
The alleged sickout comes after more than two years of tense labor conflict between the police union and the city. Last week, the union lost a key battle against the city in a dispute over pay and rank for officers in the detective bureau.
Officer Michael Merenda, the police union president, has denied orchestrating a sickout. He has said the number of absent officers has not been far above average, especially for this time of year.
The police contract allows up to 11 officers from any patrol shift to be out on vacation time.
Police Chief Brent Larrabee said only two or three officers call in sick on an average patrol shift.
Murphy said the city is researching the number of officers who typically call in sick as part of its investigation.
State labor law bans public unions from organizing strikes or similar work stoppages that could interrupt normal functioning, said Kathy Foley, director of the state's labor board.
The police union's contract with the city bans any "walkout, picketing, stoppage of work . . . or any other interference with the operations and maintenance of the department."
Murphy said a state labor board agent is coming to Stamford Monday to investigate allegations of a sickout.
Foley and other experts said sickouts among police - the so-called "Blue Flu" - are rare. Foley said she could only remember two similar actions among police in Connecticut since the 1960s - a work stoppage in Hartford and a ticket blitz in Clinton.
Of the 22 work stoppages the federal Bureau of Labor statistics documented last year, none involved police and five involved public employees. All 22 were major work stoppages, meaning they involved 1,000 or more workers.
The Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service, an independent federal agency, tracked 25 work stoppages involving less than 1,000 public employees in 2005 and 2006. None involved police, said John Arnold, an agency spokesman.
Those stoppages occurred in only a handful of states the agency monitors, Arnold said.
"It's extremely rare," said Rick Weisman, director of labor services for the Fraternal Order of Police, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that negotiates contracts for some police unions and supports the interests of law enforcement.
"Does it happen?" Weisman said. "Yes, but it's usually a sign that things are really, really bad between the city and the union."
In recent years, the union in Stamford has butted heads with the city over the detective bureau, school resource officers, asbestos at headquarters and other contract issues.
The union endorsed Mayor Dannel Malloy's Republican opponent, Christopher Munger, in last year's mayoral election and declined to endorse Malloy in his run for governor.
Negotiations for a new contract broke down over the summer because the two sides were so far apart on pensions, wages, health care costs and other issues.
Officers have been working without a contract since the last one expired in June 2005.
Copyright © 2006, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc
Blue Flu sickout?
By Zach Lowe
Staff Writer
Published December 1 2006
STAMFORD -- City officials said the police union's alleged sickout continued yesterday, while the union denied organizing any job action.
The alleged sickout, which would be a violation of state labor law, started on the midnight shift Tuesday when half the 26 officers scheduled to work called in sick, officials have said.
Advertisement
Yesterday morning, 17 of 26 officers skipped work, said Dennis Murphy, the city's head labor negotiator. Of the absent officers, 10 called in sick, five said they were injured, one took a vacation day and one took a day off for a death in the family - even though the death occurred weeks ago, Murphy said.
The city will ask a judge to order an immediate end to the sickout. Officials also filed a complaint with the state Board of Labor Relations, Murphy said.
No officers called in sick for the 3 to 11 p.m. shift yesterday, but officials said that did not mean the alleged sickout was over. Only a few officers missed yesterday's afternoon shift, meaning there may be a pattern to the absences, city officials said.
The department has filled the minimum 18 slots required for each patrol shift since the alleged sickout began, officials have said.
A prolonged sickout could cost the city thousands in overtime payments to officers required to fill out the empty patrol spots on each shift, officials said.
The alleged sickout comes after more than two years of tense labor conflict between the police union and the city. Last week, the union lost a key battle against the city in a dispute over pay and rank for officers in the detective bureau.
Officer Michael Merenda, the police union president, has denied orchestrating a sickout. He has said the number of absent officers has not been far above average, especially for this time of year.
The police contract allows up to 11 officers from any patrol shift to be out on vacation time.
Police Chief Brent Larrabee said only two or three officers call in sick on an average patrol shift.
Murphy said the city is researching the number of officers who typically call in sick as part of its investigation.
State labor law bans public unions from organizing strikes or similar work stoppages that could interrupt normal functioning, said Kathy Foley, director of the state's labor board.
The police union's contract with the city bans any "walkout, picketing, stoppage of work . . . or any other interference with the operations and maintenance of the department."
Murphy said a state labor board agent is coming to Stamford Monday to investigate allegations of a sickout.
Foley and other experts said sickouts among police - the so-called "Blue Flu" - are rare. Foley said she could only remember two similar actions among police in Connecticut since the 1960s - a work stoppage in Hartford and a ticket blitz in Clinton.
Of the 22 work stoppages the federal Bureau of Labor statistics documented last year, none involved police and five involved public employees. All 22 were major work stoppages, meaning they involved 1,000 or more workers.
The Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service, an independent federal agency, tracked 25 work stoppages involving less than 1,000 public employees in 2005 and 2006. None involved police, said John Arnold, an agency spokesman.
Those stoppages occurred in only a handful of states the agency monitors, Arnold said.
"It's extremely rare," said Rick Weisman, director of labor services for the Fraternal Order of Police, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that negotiates contracts for some police unions and supports the interests of law enforcement.
"Does it happen?" Weisman said. "Yes, but it's usually a sign that things are really, really bad between the city and the union."
In recent years, the union in Stamford has butted heads with the city over the detective bureau, school resource officers, asbestos at headquarters and other contract issues.
The union endorsed Mayor Dannel Malloy's Republican opponent, Christopher Munger, in last year's mayoral election and declined to endorse Malloy in his run for governor.
Negotiations for a new contract broke down over the summer because the two sides were so far apart on pensions, wages, health care costs and other issues.
Officers have been working without a contract since the last one expired in June 2005.
Copyright © 2006, Southern Connecticut Newspapers, Inc