Blue flu appears to have begun…
06 Apr 2010
Just saw this on Facebook from WTOL…more tomorrow on this developing story…
BREAKING NEWS: Chief Mike Navarre tells News 11, 34 Toledo Police officers have called in sick between 2 overnight shifts. This comes after an unproductive meeting Monday with the city. Tune in to News 11 at 11 following the NCAA Championship coverage for more details.
Also worth mentioning is it appears the Mayor is on vacation…
34 and the norm for the day is 12…. well those 34 people realize they are putting unwanted stress on those that will be patrolling the streets? Sure they may be making a statement but they are not helping their fellow blue brothers and sisters that depend on them for backup if needed. I would like to think they have not thought this through, and I hope the mayor gets tough and requires those that say they are sick to have a doctors release before coming back to work. I wouldn’t want them to get someone else sick!!!!
April 6th, 2010 at 12:45 amYeah and the last part of the little snippy, It appears that the mayor is on vacation… I feel like that is complete sarcasm!
April 6th, 2010 at 12:56 amNo suprise that bell is on vacation. He spent almost all of his career “saving lives” as a supervisor and out of the front line operation. Has anyone ever questioned the fact that he is always out there stating that he earned his pension “saving lives”, but yet he spent barely three years of his thirty plus years with the fire department working on the front line?
April 6th, 2010 at 3:19 amSomeone needs to train the police union and the cops on PR.
Right now they look like a bunch of babies cause they wouldn’t take some stupid concession – the same one the firemen took.
Get over it, I thought it was about safety, not money.
I think the cure for blue flu is some tissues and Barry Manilow.
April 6th, 2010 at 5:38 amIt was not sarcasm w…it was an addendum. I hadn’t seen it anywhere else.
April 6th, 2010 at 6:41 amHmmm, Toledo Police Officers who lie. “To Protect & Serve” — yeah, right. But who are they protecting & serving taxpayers or the union? Lying cops to protect their union serve themselves rather than citizens & visitors. Meanwhile, city gov’t keeps sticking it to taxpayers.
Operator: “This is 911 what’s your emergency?”
April 6th, 2010 at 9:35 amTaxpayer: “blah, blah, blah”
Operator: “Gee, I’m sorry, 34 TP officers called in sick. We’re short-handed. We’ll send an officer out when we can.”
Taxpayer: “By then, it’ll be too late because I’ll be dead.”
So the thing with this “Blue Flu”… if the news didn’t tell anyone, would anyone have noticed?
April 6th, 2010 at 9:45 amThis is rediculous…sure people get sick, but if they were working for me and pulled a stunt like this, they had better produce a doctor’s excuse, an obit or a limb.
If they don’t want to work their scheduled days, I am betting we can find someone that will.
Sheesh…
April 6th, 2010 at 12:45 pmDoes their contract allow them a certain number of sick days?
Does it require a doctors excuse?
If so, you have no complaint, but then again, the city has already proven that the contract that THEY agreed to with the TPPA isn’t worth the paper it was written on.
All of you bashing the police, I think you should volunteer to go patrol the hood.
April 6th, 2010 at 12:56 pmThrity four officers out of the six hundred-plus is a fairly small number, suggesting that this is a dissident faction (yes, I know this is one shift). I doubt that this is TPPA-driven, and I suspect this is a rogue action by a relatively small group.
Still, as Thomas pointed out, this is lousy PR, and will likely lead to even loess sympathy for the police unions.
April 6th, 2010 at 1:01 pmAlso, I think Lisa’s addendum is significant and not snarky – the question of the timing of the Blue flu suggests that this might have been intentionally set to occur while the Mayor was away.
April 6th, 2010 at 1:02 pmWhen a police officer calls off does that spot go empty or do they call someone else who was scheduled off? I wonder how much overtime is being paid out because of this, how many officers are pulling double-shifts (working with next to no sleep) because of stuff like this.
April 6th, 2010 at 1:43 pmWTOL updated their story with the numbers of 53 officers calling off but according to the Bell administration, this isn’t really a blue flu.
Robin there probably will be some overtime costs related to this. I understand the frustration to discover that the deal offered to the one union, Local 92’s firefighters, is not going to be an option for any of the other unions. There’s been a history of what one gets the others get stemming back years and approved by more than one arbitrator.
That said, this is not the way to win public opinion support…
April 6th, 2010 at 3:06 pm#13, TPPA can’t be frustrated that they now can’t get the same deal as Local 92 because they were offered the very same thing and rejected it. No one played favorites and only offered it to one. They were given the option, and instead of recognizing the need, they said “no way.” Now, they want that “horrible offer” back and are claiming it’s not fair that they can’t get it. I guess it wasn’t such a bad offer after all. Hindsight is always 20/20 though. I am so very sad that this is what it is coming to. Being reasonable up front would have saved this later drama. Now, they will cost the city even more, and from what I hear, SERB is not very friendly with things like this, so they may end up even worse off.
April 6th, 2010 at 3:47 pmIf you remember kc, the vote was close, 222-198, so some of those who wanted to take the first deal could be frustrated and historically the unions and the City have followed the “me too” philosophy of bargaining.
And SERB has traditionally followed that as well, not to mention the question of even declaring exigent circumstances has not been tested from a legality standpoint. For that to happen there would have to be a demonstrated lack of ability for the City to meet payroll, which considering the fiction that the budget is as far as the revenue predictions, may not be received well.
That all said, it would have been easier had they just taken the first deal. They didn’t, so now it becomes a scenario where the lawyers get involved and the costs could go up related to that depending on who wins when SERB does decide.
April 6th, 2010 at 4:15 pmAnd of course that does not even get into the fact that the temporary concessions that Local 92 agreed to will create another budget deficit in 2011 baring some type of a huge miracle economic recovery for the City since the overtime being accumulated now will have to be paid then. It’s being said there is no money on the table for any of the other unions to get the deal Local 92 did, which creates wondering as to what would have happened budget wise had the offers then extended been accepted.
It also creates, fair or unfair, speculation that favoritism is being shown one union. Which could also be part of the motivation of the police officers who called in sick.
April 6th, 2010 at 4:33 pmNow, according to the Blade’s website TPPA is thinking about striking despite knowing this is illegal. Who’s calling the shots and do they think Bell is going to back down?
In bad economic circumstances for the city and population, do they really think Toledo is going to be on their side? With incredible response times if you’re not dying, and the popularity of survival kits that include shotguns and shells, go ahead and strike.
As someone above pointed out, would we have even noticed the call offs if nobody said anything?
April 6th, 2010 at 8:04 pm#16, I guess I am just saying that it can’t be considered favoritism if they were both offered it. One just chose not to accept it, and yes, I feel terribly for those 198. Likely, they were the ones that were on the chopping block, and their “brothers” preferred to keep everything and lose officers instead of losing a bit financially and keeping everyone. I come from a strong union family and I do not believe in that mentality. Everyone needs to give during tough times, and they chose not to help out in a VERY small way, and now they are suffering more for that. It isn’t favoritism when they chose not to accept it. (I am only referring to TPPA as they were offered the same thing).
April 6th, 2010 at 8:43 pmIt sounds as if Local 92 has more to gain from Issue 5 than any of the other unions – from the City Council legislation required by the MUO:
“On or about March 23, 2010 Local 92 and the City entered into a Memorandum of Understanding that, among other things, memorialized an agreement by Local 92 that the City’s current pension pick-up in the amount of 10% be reduced to 7% for the remainder of 2010. By the terms of that Memorandum of Understanding, the temporary reduction in the employee pension pick-up shall immediately cease so that the City resumes paying the full 10% of the employees’ pension contribution amount if the Capital Improvement Project transfer, which is on the ballot for May 2010, passes. Upon passage of the CIP transfer, the City is to reimburse Local 92 members the 3% pension pickup amount they will begin paying on April 1, 2010.”
April 6th, 2010 at 9:56 pmThe thing from March 23rd went out the window when they (TPPA) voted AGAINST the contract, and now they are crying because they want the contract to be re offered, last I checked they VOTED, there was no fraud, or any criminal enterprise.. THEY VOTED…. 222 said NO and 198 said YES…. and now they claim it is an option to strike? an OPTION!!!!!!!!!
Better bet Navarre is pissed, and I am sure our mayor will be all over this like crazy glue!
April 6th, 2010 at 11:40 pmI’m just really disappointed with the TPPA–they don’t see the big picture at all right now with regards to the economy and it’s effect on the city.
Their behavior seems selfish in that they would rather lose a significant number of jobs than take a pay cut (and have everyone keep their jobs). They are sacrificing the youngest (in terms of seniority) members of their force to protect the rest. That’s an interesting definition of ‘union’.
The current economic climate has forced the middle class in this region to take pay cuts of all sorts–other city unions have realized this (not just in Toledo) and have worked out agreements with the city to try and get through these times.
The TPPA’s decisions are not helping their cause at this point. I do hope that an agreement can be reached without any more of the mysterious ‘blue flue’ (cough, cough, *absolute bs*, cough, cough) or without the loss of jobs. Times are much different now, and with everyone trying to get through this economic climate, the sympathy just isn’t there…
The TPPA needs to change its tactics quickly…the public backlash and fallout could have long-term effects…
April 7th, 2010 at 8:55 amGimme a break, they are out to protect and serve, but they are human. why should they have to make concessions. they need a paycheck like anyone else. Why can’t the city make cuts somewhere else? We need the police and firemen. Let THE MAYOR take a paycut, and other city members. Don’t worry if police go on strike, they can always call THE NATIONAL GUARD.
April 7th, 2010 at 6:28 pmKat – it wouldn’t matter if you cut the Mayor and council 100%.
Still loving the bind the TPPA has put themselves in PR-wise. They are in a very bad spot when it comes to the bargaining table. Can’t wait until Bell gets back – I hope the TPPA lights them up for their dereliction of duty. Calling off is no way to protest or create sympathy for your plight.
April 7th, 2010 at 7:12 pmThis happening all over the country with public sector unions. Just do a search for ‘union concessions’ and you will see it from CA to MA. Here is blurb I found from Tippecanoe, IN. It refers to teachers, but I think you get the idea: “”That’s not surprising, because veteran teachers have traditionally been willing to “eat their young” to preserve their union perks and top-notch benefits, then to do what is necessary to save their school, regardless of the effect it has on students.”"
April 8th, 2010 at 12:08 amCorrection on 23 – I hope Bell lights up the TPPA…
April 8th, 2010 at 5:42 amCompletely agree with Mr. Common Sense! They have had it good for a very long time, and now times are tough! Complete pension pick up and no cost for health care!! That’s completely unheard of. I am completely Pro Toledo Police, but they need to give a little…as well as Toledo Teachers!! Blue Flu is not the way to do it, although all the talk is bs. They can’t prove they weren’t sick!!
April 8th, 2010 at 12:14 pmI have no problem with the city asking for concessions, but has the city done that with everyone else? Other unions, including the ones who sit on their butts in Gov’t Center.
Also I thought I read that the fire union has a clause where they cannot give concessions or they cannot be laid off. Is this true? If so, next time the police union’s contract comes up, they should really push for that clause!
April 8th, 2010 at 1:56 pm#18 – That’s what I was thinking as well. It’s not fair to paint the entire department with the same brush. Those police officers who voted against the changes were sending an unspoken but loud message to their brother officers (in my opinion)… that message being: We don’t give a rip about you as long as our jobs are safe.
I wonder how many local citizens missed that “wrinkle” on all of this – that police officers were, in effect, voting for other officers to get laid off.
I think Toledo is headed for receivership, but hope against hope that I am wrong. On the other hand, maybe that would be for the best. Why basically one half of the police force doesn’t appear to care about this eventuality is beyond me.
April 8th, 2010 at 4:59 pm