Mayors come and mayors go, but their allegiance to unions doesn’t change an iota. Although this case concerning paying for union activities on city time was filed when Phil Gordon was mayor of Phoenix, union arrogance has gotten even bolder under Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton. Unions and their honchos have been among his staunchest supporters and donors.
The daily reports that the City of Phoenix has no intention of ending its practice of using city money to pay for union officers’ activity despite a judge’s recent assertion that it may violate the state constitution.
The Goldwater Institute has taken on the issue of Phoenix and other Arizona cities spending millions of dollars every year to pay employees to perform union work while on the clock in a sham known as “release time.” Goldwater is taking on the city’s contract with the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association (PLEA).
By executing this deal with PLEA, members of the Phoenix City Council have violated the Arizona Constitution and their duty of loyalty to the taxpayers.
The contract provides nearly a $million in annual release time for police union work, including lobbying. Six officers are released from city work on a full-time basis (each receiving 160 hours of overtime at 1.5x their regular salary). PLEA also uses 35 representatives. These representatives are not given a set amount of release time. Instead, they are authorized to use an unspecified amount of release time to accompany fellow officers to grievance meetings, use of force hearings, etc. For example, two representatives (or three if one is in training) are authorized to leave their post and accompany officers to grievance meetings (which is an alleged violation of the city’s agreement with PLEA). PLEA receives 500 release time hours annually for a lobbyist.
Release time harms police officers. PLEA’s past president confirmed that if the city did not give paid release time to union leaders, more money could go to police officer wages and benefits.
The Goldwater Institute provides more facts regarding the issue. This complaint was filed December 2011, on behalf of Phoenix taxpayers William R. Cheatham and Marcus Huey.
The next time we are told the city needs to raise additional revenue to pay for officers to keep our neighborhoods safe, remember where millions of our tax dollars are going — for union lobbying activities.
I applaud these efforts of the Goldwater Institute. They have uncovered the slmey underbelly of the police unions and are exposing the shinanigans we are expected to shell out our money for. The firefighters unions are no different. And the AEA and NEA are teaching our children how to be good liberals. Yes, we want police and fire protection and good teachers, but is it too much to expect them to conduct their business free from these deceptive tactics and without leftist unions deep in their organizations and as with the police, expecting us to foot the bills?
I LOVE IT ! Law Enforcement AND City Officials BREAK LAW…
…film @ 10…
Actually I’ve seen union bumper stickers on city of Phoenix trucks. That kinda frosted me…
“Kinda frosted ” you? If I saw that, I’d be outraged!! After this warning, I’ll be on the lookout and will take down license plates and vehicle information to substanciate my questions when I call my council member. I don’t pay taxes to support unions.
Goldwater Institute was dead wrong when it issued two scathing reports on Sheriff Arpaio. We gave up our memberships after that. No doubt they haven’t missed us. The GI has big bucks libertarians who underwrite their endeavors and fund their staff. This is where McAmnesty-supporter Jeff Flake got his start. This particular lawsuit is worthy. Other ventures? Not so much.
It’s a testament to the unions (police, fire and education) that we keep electing leftists as mayor of Phoenix. Phil Gordon was an ethically challenged goon and Greg Stanton is so tightly wound with the unions that he can’t function without them and their financial support. Low voter turnout usually well below 20% for city elections is exactly what the unions want, since they make sure their own unionists turn out in force. That’s why the city is fighting linking city elections with the regular election cycles. The liberals know they will fail if turnout is higher. Not only would turnout be higher, but the cost savings of not holding additional elections would be appreciable. That’s NOT what they want.