New FOP president claims victory in early battles with city

The newly elected president of the Fraternal Order of Police claimed victory Thursday in two early skirmishes with the city, likely to set the tone for contentious contract negotiations.

The battles stem from what FOP President Kevin Graham called the “unilateral expansion” of body cameras to all Chicago Police officers, and the Chicago Police Department’s proposed “disciplinary matrix” for “complaints registered” against officers.

Graham’s predecessor, Dean Angelo, filed a pair of unfair labor practices complaints stemming from those actions before losing to Graham in a runoff election for union leadership.

The Illinois Labor Relations Board could have dismissed the complaints after reviewing evidence presented by both sides. But instead, the board ordered an administrative law judge to conduct a formal hearing to determine whether the city violated state labor laws when it unilaterally implemented two new policies and failed to negotiate them with the FOP.

Although Graham was not responsible for filing the consolidated complaint, he praised the board’s decision. He said it underscores the mood among a demoralized rank-and-file.

“The bottom line is this: These issues will be negotiated with the city, not mandated unilaterally,” Graham was quoted as saying in a news release. “We want our members to be treated fairly and the City to comply with its obligations under the law.”

Law Department spokesman Bill McCaffrey had no immediate comment on Graham’s statement.

The Illinois Labor Relations Board is still considering the FOP’s request that it seek a court injunction mandating the city to “cease and desist” both policy changes.

No date has been set on when the formal hearing will take place.

Before the runoff, Graham accused Angelo of cooperating with a Justice Department investigation he should have opposed and encouraging his members to speak with federal investigators “without legal representation.”

Graham also has criticized Angelo for signing on to a bill that gave Chicago 15 more years to ramp up to 90 percent funding of the police pension fund and made it clear that he will be far more aggressive and outspoken than Angelo has been.

That could spell trouble for Mayor Rahm Emanuel as he seeks to renegotiate a police contract that, according to the Task Force on Police Accountability report, turned the “code of silence into official policy.”

After capturing 56.2 percent of the vote in the runoff with Angelo, Graham posted a defiant statement on the Facebook page of his Blue Slate of candidates.

He called the results a message “loud and clear” from a demoralized rank and file.

“FOP members want a Lodge that will fight for them. This was our promise and now we will fulfill it,” Graham was quoted as saying then.

“We look forward to immediately preparing for the upcoming contract negotiations, fighting the anti-police movement in the city and obtaining fair due process and discipline for our members.”

After the runoff, Emanuel reached out to Graham, whose election will make it more difficult for Emanuel to negotiate disciplinary changes in the new police contract demanded by the City Council’s Black Caucus.

“We have an obligation as leaders — both of us — to work on behalf of the well-being of the city of Chicago,” the mayor said.

“While he won the election, we have to work on behalf of the residents to give them security, give our officers the training that they need to do the job at the highest professional standards that allows them to be pro-active.”