NCJ Number
32906
Date Published
1976
Length
127 pages
Annotation
THIS VOLUME WAS PREPARED TO HELP POLICE CHIEFS, THEIR COMMAND STAFF, AND POLICE UNION LEADERS FOCUS ON THE PROBLEMS, PURPOSES, GOALS, AND INTERESTS THAT POLICE ADMINISTRATORS SHARE WITH THE WORK FORCES THEY COMMAND.
Abstract
THE PRACTICES RECOMMENDED HERE HAVE BEEN DRAWN FROM A 1975 ANALYSIS OF THE HISTORY AND CHARACTERISTICS OF POLICE UNIONS AND POLICE CHIEFS' RESPONSES TO POLICE UNIONS IN CONNECTICUT. IN THE FIRST CHAPTER, A MYTHICAL TOWN (MYTHTON,CONNECTICUT) IS PRESENTED IN WHICH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT'S LABOR MANAGEMENT RELATIONSHIP IS IDEAL. EVERYTHING - THE MYTHTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, ITS CHIEF, ITS UNION PRESIDENT, AND THEIR PRACTICES - WERE ASSEMBLIED FROM OBSERVATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENTS IN THE 1975 STUDY. ALLUDED TO IN THIS COMPOSITE OF CASE HISTORY ARE THE PRACTICES BY POLICE UNIONS AND POLICE MANAGEMENT THAT APPEAR TO FRUSTRATE LONG TERMS INTERESTS OF THE POLICE FORCE AND THE PUBLIC IT SERVES. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT PRACTICES IN MYTHTON IS A DISTILLATION OF THE CONDITIONS, ATTITUDES, AND PRACTICES THAT THE STUDY DATA SUGGESTS WILL PROMOTE CONSTRUCTIVE POLICE UNION MANAGEMENT RELATIONS. THIS IDEAL COMPOSITE IS FOLLOWED BY AN ANALYSIS OF THE REAL POLICE UNION MANAGEMENT RELATIONS IN CONNECTICUT AS REVEALED IN THE 1975 STUDY. A THIRD CHAPTER IS WRITTEN IN THE FORM OF RECOMMENDATIONS WITH ANNOTATED BACKGROUND AND DISCUSSIONS FROM STUDY DATA. THE PRIMARY ELEMENTS OF CONSTRUCTIVE UNION MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ARE DESCRIBED AND SOME OF THE SUBTLETIES OF MOVING IN A PRACTICAL WAY TOWARD THE IDEAL DEPARTMENT ARE DISCUSSED. THE REMAINDER OF THE GUIDE IS REFERENCE MATERIAL - A DETAILED GLOSSARY OF CONTRACT TERMS AND EXAMPLES OF CLAUSES, FOLLOWED BY A REFERENCE BIBLIOGRAPHY AND AN APPENDIX. APPENDED MATERIALS INCLUDE THE 'QUESTION BOOKS' (SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRES) USED IN THE CONNECTICUT STUDY, COPIES OF THE FOUR NATIONAL ADVISORY COMMISSION EMPLOYEE RELATIONS STANDARDS TO WHICH THE SURVEYED CONNECTICUT POLICE REACTED ON THEIR QUESTIONNAIRES, AND A COPY OF A CONNECTICUT ACT CONCERNING BINDING ARBITRATION FOR MUNICIPAL COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS. (THE STUDY THAT PRODUCED THE DATA FOR THIS ANALYSIS IS REPORTED IN DETAIL IN A COMPANION VOLUME, POLICE UNION MANAGEMENT RELATIONS IN CONNECTICUT, A REPORT OF CONNECTICUT TOWN POLICE DEPARTMENTS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED) (SNI ABSTRACT)