Orlando Mayor Dyer Tries To Extort Police Officers Again

Orlando, FL — Orlando Police Officers, along with their family members and friends, distributed flyers, picketed outside City Hall, and held a Silent Protest during the November 15, 2004 City Council Meeting. Orlando Officers were also joined by the Central Florida PBA, representing Orange County Sheriff's Office Deputies, and the local 20577 Firefighters Union, representing the Orange County Firefighters. Together the unions protested the Mayor's actions that ultimately affect the public's safety, as well as, the overall safety of public safety personnel.

Mayor Dyer wants to annex a large portion of International Drive by the convention center in an effort to increase the City's tax base. If the annexation becomes reality it will strain the resources of the Orlando Police Department, already down officers, putting the public and tourists at risk; not to mention the officers themselves.

While the Mayor's grand plans for Orlando are a concern, Orlando Police Officers are even more frustrated and disturbed that Mayor Dyer continues to implement ‘union-busting' and ‘extortion' type tactics in an effort to intimidate and force them to sign a contract on his terms.

True to form, the Mayor's Staff tried three more times to break the will of Orlando Police Officers before their impending protest at City Hall and after their third Silent Protest on November 15, 2004.

• First, the Mayor's Chief Legal Attorney, Amy Iennaco, told the FOP Labor Committee to stop using the city's seal on a brochure being handed out in Downtown Orlando. FOP Legal Counsel, Attorney John C. Ross, stated the city's demand is without merit and the use of the Orlando Police Patch, which happens to have an illustration of Lake Eola in the middle resembling that of the city seal, is not a violation of Orlando City Ordinance or Florida State Law.

• Second, Orlando Police Chief Michael McCoy will not allow Orlando Police Officers to participate in President George Bush's inauguration protection detail at no cost to the city. A request of this nature is considered a high honor for those law enforcement agencies asked to participate and the utilization of outside law enforcement by the Capital Police to protect the President is a matter of National Security.

• Third, Orlando Police Chief Michael McCoy stated, in a taped WFTV Channel 9 interview, that City of Orlando Legal Counsel has advised him to not honor the grievance filed by union officials requesting the payment of contractually obligated longevity pay to Orlando Police Officers. The FOP will now seek remedies through the binding arbitration process in order to force the City to pay its officers.

The Chief of Police serves at the will of the Mayor and the FOP believes the Chief of Police is being told by the Mayor how to treat the officers.

These union-busting tactics are familiar to Orlando Police Officers and they will continue to endure them. The suspension of contractually obligated payments (Longevity Pay, Shoe Allowance, and Career Development) came immediately after over 250 Off-Duty Orlando Police Officers filled seats at the October 11, 2004 City Council meeting as a form of silent protest over the Mayor's Unfair Labor Practices.

The contract for the Orlando Police Officers expired on September 30, 2004 and officers have been working without a contract ever since.

The most notable trouble for the officers began during contract negotiations when Mayor Dyer gave his Budgetary Address on July 19, 2004 wherein he said that all employees would receive a 2% pay raise whether an employee was in a collective bargaining unit or not. Since contract negotiations began in June of 2004, and were underway in City Hall the very day Mayor Dyer gave his address, his 2% mantra constitutes a violation of state law and is an Unfair Labor Practice. The Mayor will also face several additional Unfair Labor Practice claims in the very near future.

City negotiators declared impasse and walked away from the negotiating table on October 6, 2004.

It is now believed, by many officers, that Mayor Buddy Dyer may not like law enforcement in general as a result of a criminal investigation into his possible involvement in election fraud. Mayor Dyer has retained a Criminal Defense Attorney to represent him in an ongoing criminal investigation regarding Absentee Ballot Fraud in the 2004 Mayoral Election. Mayor Dyer is currently battling a civil suit on the same issue and several individuals involved in the civil suit have invoked their 5th Amendment Right to not incriminate themselves. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is investigating the criminal complaint.

Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 25 President Jeff Williams or Labor Committee Chairman Sam Hoffman will be available for comment and can be reached at the following cellular phone numbers; Sam Hoffman (407) 832-1975, Jeff Williams (407) 832-1973.

For more information visit HTTP://WWW.FOP25.COM

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