THE HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT OF POLICE EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATIONS IS REVIEWED, AND SEVERAL OF THE PROMINENT ORGANIZATIONS ARE DESCRIBED. POLICE UNIONS, AND IN PARTICULAR LOCAL POLICE EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATIONS, ARE EXAMINED, AND THE PROCESSES OF INTERACTION WITH POLICE MANAGEMENT ARE DESCRIBED. BECAUSE PRODUCTIVITY PROGRAMS REQUIRE MANAGEMENT/UNION COOPERATION, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT EFFICIENT MECHANISMS FOR COMMUNICATION AND NEGOTIATION BE MAINTAINED. EXAMPLES ARE PRESENTED OF HOW SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS HAVE APPROACHED THIS TASK. A NUMBER OF CASE STUDIES OF PRODUCTIVITY PROGRAMS ARE INCLUDED. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT PRODUCTIVITY MAXIMIZATION IS AND WILL REMAIN AN IMPERATIVE, AS WILL THE NEED FOR UNIONS AND MANAGEMENT TO REACH MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE POLICIES FOR ACHIEVING IT.