01-29-2008, 01:55 AM
I.U.P.A (As Follows)
I.U.P.A. History Timeline
I.U.P.A.'s history began in 1954 when the union was known as the National Conference of Police Associations (N.C.P.A.). The N.C.P.A. was developed in response to the demands of the law enforcement profession that was changing so quickly, especially in the areas of collective bargaining and benefits. It was apparent that police officers were in need of the support and services that only the AFL-CIO could provide through the auspices of other police officers. In 1966, the N.C.P.A. amended its by-laws to allow a number of local Canadian police associations to affiliate and N.C.P.A. became known as the International Conference of Police Associations. The I.C.P.A. declined to ally itself with the AFL-CIO, so the member organizations that wanted AFL-CIO affiliation created the International Union of Police Associations (I.U.P.A.).
On February 20, 1979, the International Union of Police Associations was granted an AFL-CIO charter by President George Meany as the first law enforcement union that allowed the law enforcement community to have their own independent voice within organized labor. This partnership was created to enhance the working and personal lives of law enforcement professionals across the country. That need has not changed.
Since 1990, I.U.P.A.'s membership growth has been threefold. Included in this expansion has been the affiliation of 8,000 law enforcement officers in Puerto Rico as well as officers from the corrections area of law enforcement. More recently, our membership growth has been due to organizing campaigns that have been specifically designed for law enforcement personnel. We now represent officers from Los Angeles to Boston, Minnesota to Florida, and across the Mid-West.
Also contributing to our membership growth has been the realization that ever-changing laws and demands on the law enforcement community have created a significant need for officers to be covered legally while on the job. In response to this need, I.U.P.A. created a full service legal program that was tailored to offer representation in matters related to grievance and disciplinary hearings, collective bargaining, job security and contract administration and any other legal ramifications related to the course and scope of duty.
Since I.U.P.A.'s beginning, the organization has become one of the most influential voices for law enforcement in the political arena. We have always aided in drafting legislation impacting the lives of not only our membership, but the law enforcement and labor community as a whole. Our legislative initiatives include the National Police Officers Bill of Rights, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for public employees, educational survivor benefits and armor vest grants.
The I.U.P.A. played the pivotal role in the passage of amendments that made the FLSA one of the most important labor laws ever passed, applicable to law enforcement. In 1986, Congress passed a series of amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act, which forever changed American policing. No longer could law enforcement officers be required to work more than eight hours a day or 40 hours a week without compensation; and no longer did local unions and associations have to collectively bargain to ensure that overtime was paid at time and a half. The passage of the FLSA amendments demonstrated, clearly and unequivocally, the great value of an independent law enforcement and AFL-CIO-affiliated union. We also fought alongside the AFL-CIO in opposition to the rule changes to this act promulgated by the Department of Labor. This collaborative effort resulted in the passage of the Harkin Amendment through both houses of Congress on several occasions.
Contact Info to Join:
CONTACT
To get started, please make a phone call to our main office and request an organizing package be sent to your home address preferably. Arden will take your request at 800-247-4872 and forward your name and contact phone numbers to Dave Nulton, Field Services Director, who will then call you, usually within 24 Hours. While e-mail may be utilized, it is best to talk directly with you and determine your needs. You will be contacted by phone and after receiving and reviewing the materials, a dialogue will determine if the group is ready to charter. A few questions will be asked by us and we would encourage you to respond in writing (e.g., letter, fax, e-mail). The questions will concern the following: your background in the dept., the number and type of positions in the dept., how many officers/personnel will commit to this effort, what services the members desire and what they are willing to pay, the top 3-5 issues in the dept., are any other organizations presently representing any of the personnel, is a core group willing to assist in the organizing effort, is a labor contract in effect and the date of expiration of that contract, etc.?
INTERVIEW
Based on a variety of factors, a decision will be made on chartering usually within two weeks. The key factors are interest among the potential membership and a committed leadership group. The chartering process may also be controlled by collective bargaining laws, etc., and may vary from state to state.
ONSITE ANALYSIS
Once a decision is made to charter, usually a trip to the particular location can be arranged within 30 days. Prior to the actual trip, IUPA may require that the interested group provide a commitment by completing bank/credit card draft authorization forms in non-collective bargaining states. Again, the chartering process may be affected by the applicable labor statutes in a particular location. This step culminates in the selection of a date for your chartering meeting.
CHARTERING
Your Local's first union meeting is usually divided into two parts. The first part lasts approximately 45 minutes and consists of a presentation of the leadership and history of the International, the membership make-up, and the benefits of membership. A question/answer period follows with a 10-15 minute break, allowing those attending that may not want to be part of the chartering process to leave. The remaining attendees then proceed with the chartering process. A number of votes will take place at this time and may be as follows: motions to form a local union and affiliate with IUPA, motions to affiliate with the central labor council and the state federation of the AFL-CIO, motions to select a name and local number, motions to elect a governing board (usually for at least six months and consists of a president, vice president, secretary-treasurer, sgt.-at-arms, etc.), appointment of committees to setup a membership drive, create a constitution and bylaws, develop a newsletter, and so on. It is important that correct and accurate notes be taken as this meeting marks the creation of your Local union. These notes will serve to be the initial entry into the corporate notebook of your Local.
Thus, your new Local is "born". Followup will continue until your Local is on solid ground and functions as an autonomous unit. An integral part of your Local's development is getting involved in the political process locally and on the state level by participating with the local and state unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO. Participation in union-sponsored events like candidate screenings, rallies, fundraisers, and other political events is highly encouraged and necessary for success. Even in the best of collective bargaining situations, participation in the political process is a necessity. Thanks for listening and please make that call to the International. We look forward to hearing from you.
I.U.P.A. History Timeline
I.U.P.A.'s history began in 1954 when the union was known as the National Conference of Police Associations (N.C.P.A.). The N.C.P.A. was developed in response to the demands of the law enforcement profession that was changing so quickly, especially in the areas of collective bargaining and benefits. It was apparent that police officers were in need of the support and services that only the AFL-CIO could provide through the auspices of other police officers. In 1966, the N.C.P.A. amended its by-laws to allow a number of local Canadian police associations to affiliate and N.C.P.A. became known as the International Conference of Police Associations. The I.C.P.A. declined to ally itself with the AFL-CIO, so the member organizations that wanted AFL-CIO affiliation created the International Union of Police Associations (I.U.P.A.).
On February 20, 1979, the International Union of Police Associations was granted an AFL-CIO charter by President George Meany as the first law enforcement union that allowed the law enforcement community to have their own independent voice within organized labor. This partnership was created to enhance the working and personal lives of law enforcement professionals across the country. That need has not changed.
Since 1990, I.U.P.A.'s membership growth has been threefold. Included in this expansion has been the affiliation of 8,000 law enforcement officers in Puerto Rico as well as officers from the corrections area of law enforcement. More recently, our membership growth has been due to organizing campaigns that have been specifically designed for law enforcement personnel. We now represent officers from Los Angeles to Boston, Minnesota to Florida, and across the Mid-West.
Also contributing to our membership growth has been the realization that ever-changing laws and demands on the law enforcement community have created a significant need for officers to be covered legally while on the job. In response to this need, I.U.P.A. created a full service legal program that was tailored to offer representation in matters related to grievance and disciplinary hearings, collective bargaining, job security and contract administration and any other legal ramifications related to the course and scope of duty.
Since I.U.P.A.'s beginning, the organization has become one of the most influential voices for law enforcement in the political arena. We have always aided in drafting legislation impacting the lives of not only our membership, but the law enforcement and labor community as a whole. Our legislative initiatives include the National Police Officers Bill of Rights, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for public employees, educational survivor benefits and armor vest grants.
The I.U.P.A. played the pivotal role in the passage of amendments that made the FLSA one of the most important labor laws ever passed, applicable to law enforcement. In 1986, Congress passed a series of amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act, which forever changed American policing. No longer could law enforcement officers be required to work more than eight hours a day or 40 hours a week without compensation; and no longer did local unions and associations have to collectively bargain to ensure that overtime was paid at time and a half. The passage of the FLSA amendments demonstrated, clearly and unequivocally, the great value of an independent law enforcement and AFL-CIO-affiliated union. We also fought alongside the AFL-CIO in opposition to the rule changes to this act promulgated by the Department of Labor. This collaborative effort resulted in the passage of the Harkin Amendment through both houses of Congress on several occasions.
Contact Info to Join:
CONTACT
To get started, please make a phone call to our main office and request an organizing package be sent to your home address preferably. Arden will take your request at 800-247-4872 and forward your name and contact phone numbers to Dave Nulton, Field Services Director, who will then call you, usually within 24 Hours. While e-mail may be utilized, it is best to talk directly with you and determine your needs. You will be contacted by phone and after receiving and reviewing the materials, a dialogue will determine if the group is ready to charter. A few questions will be asked by us and we would encourage you to respond in writing (e.g., letter, fax, e-mail). The questions will concern the following: your background in the dept., the number and type of positions in the dept., how many officers/personnel will commit to this effort, what services the members desire and what they are willing to pay, the top 3-5 issues in the dept., are any other organizations presently representing any of the personnel, is a core group willing to assist in the organizing effort, is a labor contract in effect and the date of expiration of that contract, etc.?
INTERVIEW
Based on a variety of factors, a decision will be made on chartering usually within two weeks. The key factors are interest among the potential membership and a committed leadership group. The chartering process may also be controlled by collective bargaining laws, etc., and may vary from state to state.
ONSITE ANALYSIS
Once a decision is made to charter, usually a trip to the particular location can be arranged within 30 days. Prior to the actual trip, IUPA may require that the interested group provide a commitment by completing bank/credit card draft authorization forms in non-collective bargaining states. Again, the chartering process may be affected by the applicable labor statutes in a particular location. This step culminates in the selection of a date for your chartering meeting.
CHARTERING
Your Local's first union meeting is usually divided into two parts. The first part lasts approximately 45 minutes and consists of a presentation of the leadership and history of the International, the membership make-up, and the benefits of membership. A question/answer period follows with a 10-15 minute break, allowing those attending that may not want to be part of the chartering process to leave. The remaining attendees then proceed with the chartering process. A number of votes will take place at this time and may be as follows: motions to form a local union and affiliate with IUPA, motions to affiliate with the central labor council and the state federation of the AFL-CIO, motions to select a name and local number, motions to elect a governing board (usually for at least six months and consists of a president, vice president, secretary-treasurer, sgt.-at-arms, etc.), appointment of committees to setup a membership drive, create a constitution and bylaws, develop a newsletter, and so on. It is important that correct and accurate notes be taken as this meeting marks the creation of your Local union. These notes will serve to be the initial entry into the corporate notebook of your Local.
Thus, your new Local is "born". Followup will continue until your Local is on solid ground and functions as an autonomous unit. An integral part of your Local's development is getting involved in the political process locally and on the state level by participating with the local and state unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO. Participation in union-sponsored events like candidate screenings, rallies, fundraisers, and other political events is highly encouraged and necessary for success. Even in the best of collective bargaining situations, participation in the political process is a necessity. Thanks for listening and please make that call to the International. We look forward to hearing from you.