CHICAGO, IL- In Chicago, it’s arguably a better time to be a firefighter than a police officer. Because at least those guys just got a new contract signed.
The Local 2 contract encompasses the time period July 2017 through June 2021 and will give members of the Chicago Fire Department (CFD) raises that are in line with those awarded to other public safety units, while saving the city about $10 million due to a number of reforms.
ABC7 News reported that the reforms include requiring active members to contribute an additional 1.5% of their salaries toward healthcare costs.
In order to preserve the eligibility for retiree health care at age 55, the new agreement requires future retirees between the ages of 55 and 60 to contribute 3% and those between 60 and 62 to contribute 1.5% of their retirement annuity toward their benefit.
This reform nearly doubles employee healthcare contributions. The one-year deal also includes $95 million in back pay. It includes a 10% pay raise, with all but 2.5% of it retroactive and it increases vacation days for paramedics.
Lightfoot, firefighters’ union sign new contract that includes pay raises https://t.co/fkC4ks7NPA
— WGN TV News (@WGNNews) September 18, 2020
The Local 2 contract covers more than 5,000 firefighters and paramedics in the city of Chicago. However, even with the pay raises and back pay, many rank-and-file members are not entirely pleased with the agreement.
The president of CFD Local 2 Union Jim Tracy joined Lightfoot, Alderman Andre Vasquez, and Alderwoman Susan Sadlowski Garza at the signing ceremony. Tracy said in a statement:
“I’m not happy with all the provisions of the contract, as my membership is also not happy with it all, but today is a good day.”
Mayor Lightfoot and the union representing Chicago firefighters on Friday celebrated signing a four-year contract that will provide firefighters and paramedics with $95 million in back pay, but puts off tough negotiations on staffing issues until 2021. https://t.co/8qfA8ZznPj
— CBS Chicago (@cbschicago) September 18, 2020
The contact is a short-term agreement with it expiring next summer, June 2021. The city will need to meet again to negotiate with the firefighters for a longer deal.
The $95 million in back pay is great for the firefighters, but now the city, who is currently in an $800 million deficit from the shutdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, will need to figure out exactly how they plan to cover that.
Allegedly, Lightfoot said they prepared for this. She said:
“We had set aside money to make sure we could pay it. Obviously we anticipated what the amount would be and we started setting aside resources to make sure that we could get the deal done, so it’s already accounted for.”
Police officers in Chicago are retiring at TWICE the usual rate in the face of anti-police protests, budget cuts, and a lack of support from their Mayor Lori Lightfoot. Read more about the dangerous situation.
— Secure America Now 🇺🇸 (@SecureAmerica) August 20, 2020
As it is a good day for Chicago firefighters, the Chicago Police remain with out a contract. Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara, who has a tense relationship as it is with the mayor, was at the Edgewater firehouse where the signing of the CFD contract happened.
Catanzara proceeded to present Lightfoot with their counter-proposal. Unfortunately, she had left by the time he showed up. He said:
“I think it was a purposeful slap in the race. The mayor wanted to obviously give us the middle finger, just to kind of show off that the firemen are contracted.”
The president of the Chicago Firefighters Union said Friday he and Mayor Lori Lightfoot are “miles apart” from a long-term contract and made the case to maintain staffing levels on fire apparatus even though the city faces a $1.2 billion budget shortfall. https://t.co/c2CieTCzz2
— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) September 18, 2020
Allegedly, Lightfoot sent Cantanzara a letter expressing her frustrations after negotiations for the police contract broke down. She said in her letter:
“He should get at the table and be serious about getting a deal done, but a deal done with Chicago, with the FOP has to include accountability and reform measures.”
Lightfoot said that she’s not going to negotiate in the media. Yet, she recently stated that she is considering slowing down the replacement of retired Chicago police officers or leaving some positions “unfilled” next year to reduce the police department’s massive personnel budget in an effort to fill the huge COVID-19-induced budget shortfall.
The Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) chapter in #Chicago endorsed President Donald Trump for reelection.
The #ChicagoPD union’s board of directors voted on Sept. 2 to endorse President Trump’s reelection, reported the @ChicagoTribune. https://t.co/R7hDY97AMU
— The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes) September 14, 2020
At a recent City Council hearing on the police department’s budget, city Budget Director Susie Park attempted to give more insight on how that would exactly work. She said:
“I think that’s part of the discussion we’re having with CPD around the 2021 budget, as we do every year, and kind of, what is the right number of officers that they need to accomplish and meet all of their operational needs.”
She added:
“And we’re looking at everyone’s vacancies across the city, to be honest as we’re putting together the 2021 budget. We’re really trying to understand what is the need in every department, so CPD is no different on that manner and we’re having those talks now about exactly how many of those do we want to fill, can we fill.”
Interestingly enough, in the recently signed CFD contract, the fire department will see a zero reduction in the workforce until at least 2022.
Park said that so far this year, 464 police officers have retired compared to the 431 retirements during the same time frame in 2019. At the end of 2019, a total of 539 police officers had retired.
Here is another article from Law Enforcement Today about the Los Angeles mayor wanting to end their contract with the LAPD:
LOS ANGELES, CA – Straight outta Compton… another straight up attack on police by the Mayor.
Compton Mayor Aja Brown is calling for an investigation into the city’s patrol station. Mayor Brown called for California Attorney General Xavier Becerra to investigate LASD over alleged ‘civil rights abuses’ by deputies.
Not only that – but he’s also urging city leader to end the city’s contract with the department.
This comes after accusations of “gang activity” within the department. Here’s the deal.
A Compton deputy alleges he was beaten by his own fellow officers.
Deputy Thomas Banuelos claims he endured years of “bullying and intimidation” by members of a “gang of deputies” at the Compton Sherriff’s station known as the “Executioners.”
He claims “the Executioners” hit him repeatedly in the head, then told to keep silent and warned him “not to cooperate with investigator and to lie about the violent attack,” according to Banuelos’ claim.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva has denied the presence of gang activity at the Compton Station. Furthermore, Villanueva said on Tuesday that he implemented the first policy in the history of the department to ban gangs or secret societies.
But Inspector General Max Huntsmen argues that while the policy may be in place, it is not enforced.
Mayor Brown has her own story to tell about her interaction with the deputies of Compton. And what claims that she experienced has her fighting even harder to see “real change” in the department.
Last June, Brown was driving with her husband and infant daughter when she was pulled over by a Compton sheriff deputy.
She alleges within seconds she was surrounded by seven to nine deputy vehicles. When asked why she was being pulled over, she says the officer told her she ran a red light – something which she of course denies.
She was ordered out of her vehicle and asked to place her hands on top of the police vehicle so she could be searched. Brown says the deputies searched her husband and car for drugs.
Initially Brown received a ticket, but it was later withdrawn. An official complaint with the LASD was made by Brown but she states she’s received “no satisfactory answers.”
Brown asked for the state investigation after Deputy Art Gonzalez filed a claim with county officials regarding “the Executioners”.
Gonzalez blew the whistle last week in regard to the deputies’ alleged misconduct. Deputy Gonzalez claim the group of 20 members and 20 associates, all active deputies, celebrate deputy-involved shootings and engage in civil rights abuses.
He’s provided no evidence to the media of these claims.
Gonzalez called in a complaint to a confidential tip line for Internal Affairs, regarding the violent attack against Banuelos, and Gonzalez claims the tip was anything but confidential.
After learning of the leaked tip almost immediately after the call was made, Gonzalez decided to file his own claim against the county.
“They terrorize the community and then they cover their tracks,” Brown said. “It’s unacceptable, we will not take this.”
Compton city leaders have plans to request a civil rights investigation in the Compton station. Brown wants to take it a step further and revoke the annual $22 million contracts the agency has with the city.
Compton has contracted with the sheriff’s department since 2000 to provide law enforcement for the city. It is in its third year of a five-year agreement, officials said.
“We demand justice from the Compton sheriffs and we will no longer continue to pay you $22 million to terrorize this community,” Brown said.
Likewise, Compton Mayor Pro Tem Michelle Chambers says:
“We send a clear message to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department that you clean up you house, get your house in order or we will surely help you do that. You have Executioners, you have gangs in your house.”
L.A. County Sheriff’s department has said:
“We are aware of the allegations regarding Compton Station and have launched multiple investigations. Early on, the Sheriff invited the Federal Bureau of Investigation to conduct their own investigation and information is actively being shared with them.”
While violent rioters destroy downtown Los Angeles, clueless mayor calls protests “largely peaceful”
LOS ANGELES, CA.- Violent protests, which have become a nightly occurrence in Portland, Oregon for over two months, have now moved to other cities, including Los Angeles.
However, the sheer incompetence of the mainstream media knows no bounds. You continually see people such as Brian Stelter, Chris Cuomo and Don Lemon on CNN mocking reports that are clearly available from multiple sources showing anarchy taking place in our big cities.
They call riots “peaceful protests.” They have literally laughed as Americans, a large number of them black, are getting slaughtered in our major cities. Yet, nobody aside from a few conservative media sites have called them out.
And they wonder why they are referred to as fake news?
On Saturday evening, Fox LA was reporting that at least three people were injured during “peaceful protests,” which, of course, were actually violent confrontations with police, in the midst of multiple demonstrations in downtown Los Angeles.
The three injured persons were all taken to local hospitals for treatment, according to a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Fire Department, Margaret Stewart. The riots because let’s call them what they are forced the LAPD to declare a tactical alert, mobilizing officers in response to the attacks on federal buildings downtown.
Breitbart News reported that several federal buildings had suffered vandalism and had their windows smashed. Rioters also blocked traffic in the area.
Bill Melugin of Fox LA reported from the scene, retweeting video from someone on scene who reported that Black Lives Matter, Antifa and Revolutionary Communists were partaking in the violence.
But remember, this is only about “systemic racism,” right?
Video from on scene in downtown LA a short time ago as federal buildings are being attacked by Antifa. https://t.co/jKDC1uyJkg
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) July 26, 2020
Several factions of protesters, including what looks to be some anarchist elements, are currently breaking out the windows of the federal building in downtown LA right now. @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/IDmHPz0xHi
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) July 26, 2020
They are now in the street not allowing vehicles through. pic.twitter.com/IvbCujh9p1
— Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) July 26, 2020
According to the Los Angeles Times:
“Los Angeles police issued a citywide tactical alert Saturday night in response to protests downtown, allowing the department to have more officers and resources available.
LAPD has now declared a citywide tactical alert to deal w/ a protest in Downtown Los Angeles including a group broke into the lobby of the US Bureau of Prisons Metropolitan Detention Center per law enforcement sources. No word yet if anyone has been detained or impacts.
— Andrew Blankstein (@anblanx) July 26, 2020
“Sgt. Anthony Costello said there had not been any major problems with a majority of the crowd, but that there were some isolated incidents of vandalism, including some broken windows and graffiti at the federal building downtown.
“According to several media reports, demonstrators organized the protests in response to federal agents being sent to Portland, Ore., to put down nightly protests that began two months ago following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.”
Breitbart noted correctly that the Times had conveniently neglected to mention in their report that the Portland protests have grown increasingly violent, with the federal courthouse in that city being the target of repeated nightly attacks by violent anarchists, who have also attempted to set the building on fire.
The riots have resulted in numerous law enforcement officers being injured after being attacked by the rioting anarchists. Federal officers are not, as the Times said, sent to Portland to “put down nightly protests,” but rather to protect federal property, in particular because Portland’s feckless, incompetent mayor and city council have refused to protect those properties.
Democrats have joined the “three blind mice” at CNN in refusing to call the violent riots for what they are, and instead have turned to name-calling of federal law enforcement officers, referring to them as Nazi “Gestapo” and storm troopers, as well as “Trump’s secret police.”
On Friday, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany struck back at that narrative, playing a montage of video at her Friday press briefing which showed the violence in Portland.
That meant nothing to the mainstream media, who are trying to maintain their narrative to the sheep that these are “peaceful protests.” The only major news network to air the footage was Fox News, which cut away when profanity appeared onscreen.
Breitbart said that on Friday, gutless Democratic LA Mayor Eric Garcetti expressed his support for the Portland “protests,” saying that they “represent the best of our democratic ideals.”
He joined the parade of the blind, denying the Portland incidents had been violent while saying “individual acts” did not define the whole.
In Los Angeles, rioters smashed windows and spray-painted graffiti at the Metropolitan Detention Center and threw objects at responding officers during a confrontation at the federal courthouse.
There were two separate incidents on Saturday in front of City Hall, one which was organized by a group called Refuse Fascism (have you noticed these anti-fascist groups are the biggest fascists out there?) which was another in a string of demonstrations against the administration of President Trump, while the other was organized by the Youth Liberation Front.
Be proud, educators of America. This is what you have borne.
In the case of the Youth Liberation Front, it was part of more than 30 demonstrations nationwide in support of the rioters in Portland.
During the tactical alert, Los Angeles police officers remained on duty past the end of their scheduled shifts, with numerous officers sent to the downtown incident.
The creative protesters held homemade signs made out of things such as “boogie boards” and Amazon packaging which read:
“SAY THEIR NAMES,”
“BLACK LIVES ARE LOVED,”
“COPS ARE BAD MMKAY.”
As we said, they are a creative lot.
Many of the rioters carried black flags, some just blank and at least one with the Anarchist letter “A.” The protest had remained somewhat peaceful, FOX LA said, until it reached the Metropolitan Detention Center.
Once there however, the “peaceful protest” deteriorated into the usual Antifa-sponsored anarchy, with some rioters smashing windows, kicking in windows, smashing them with a skateboard and spraying all manner of graffiti in the area.
One tag on the building read, “Building the new world today” with the anarchist “A” underneath. But hey, this is about George Floyd’s death, black lives, and systemic racism, right?
The crowd was estimated at about 150 people by Lt. John Cook of the LAPD’s Northeast Division. After leaving the detention facility, they then headed toward the U.S. District Court building. They then started to throw rocks and water bottles at the front doors, whereupon some LAPD officers arrived to a sea of objects being thrown at them.
Officers then removed less lethal weapons and aimed in the direction of the rioters. One non-lethal round was fired into the crowed, according to FOX-LA.
Police attempted to detain at least three people. One female rioter who was taken to the ground managed to grab one of the officer’s nonlethal weapon as he sought to detain her. One officer fired a nonlethal round into the crowd.
According to Sgt. Luis Contreras, the firing of nonlethal rounds under circumstances such as this was a normal response to being accosted by such a violent crowd.
“We got hit by rocks and bottles and screwdrivers, and they busted that glass—that’s why,” he explained. “We tried not to. We weren’t going to, but it just got too dangerous.”
If you’re looking to find out what is really going on in America, do not watch CNN. While America is burning, the clown show consisting of Stelter, Cuomo and Lemon is having quite a laugh about it. Tone deaf doesn’t even come close to describing these three.
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