Emergence of Police Unionism in the United States and Its Impact on Management (From Conflict and Cooperation in Police Labour Relations, P 137-142, 1980, Bryan M Downie and Richard L Jackson, ed. - See NCJ-70702)

• NCJ Number: 70705
• Author(s): G Murphy
• Date Published: 1980
• Length: 6 pages
• Sale Source: Canadian Government Publishing Ctr Supply and Services Canada
• Language: English
• Country: Canada

Annotation

Presented at the 1978 symposium on Canadian police labor relations, the paper traces the history and development of police unionism in the U.S. and relates its impact on police management.

Abstract

The first police associations in the U.S. were fraternal, social organizations such as the Fraternal Order of Police. During the 1920's and 30's these fraternal organizations were effective in promoting the introduction of retirement and promotional systems into police departments. Due to the great social upheavals of the civil rights period and radical changes in the educational system, those entering the police forces since the 1960's have tended toward greater militancy. The more militant police organizations such as the International Conference of Police Associations, which is now part of the AFL-CIO, and the International Brotherhood of Police Officers have had much higher success in collective bargaining than nonmilitant unions. While the police were becoming more militant, management suffered from shortsightedness and underestimated the unions' strengths. For collective baragaining to be effective, union demands must be anticipated and bargaining must be done in good faith.