A Historical Overview of Police Unionization in the United States
| DOI | 10.1177/0032258X8806100406 |
| Author | Marvin J. Levine |
| Published date | 01 October 1988 |
| Date | 01 October 1988 |
| Subject Matter | Article |
MARVIN J. LEVINE, Ph.D.
Professor, University
of
Maryland
AHISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF
POLICE UNIONIZATION IN THE
UNITED STATES
Introduction
The struggle for police officers to gain formal recognition and the right to
bargain collectively ran from the tum of the century until 1964 when
Mayor Wagner of New York City issued an executive order recognizing
the Patrolman's Benevolent Association as a bargaining agent for rank-
and-filemembersof the PoliceDepartment. Shortly thereaftermany other
large city police departments followed suit by recognizing fraternal and
benevolentassociations as bargaining agents for the police. The struggle
for recognition was long and hard fought by rank-and-file police officers
and elected officials and police chiefs who were in opposition.
This paper begins with an examination
of
the early years
of
1900-
1930 when the struggle began and the first attempt to unionize occurred.
I then examine the period
of
the second world war and the second attempt
to unionize which continued into the 1950' s. The periodof the 1960'
sand
the unrest that continued into the 1970's is then examined along with the
strategic changes brought about by the rank-and-file leaders. The future
of
police unionismis then examinedalong with some concluding thoughts.
THE
EARLY YEARS: 1900-1930's
At the tum
of
the century, policing, like many other professions, was
fraugtit with complaints oflonghours, low pay, and the lack
of
opportunity
for redress. Add to this political interference and claims of nepotism by
many rank-and-file officers and the resulting conditions equate to low
morale and general dissatisfaction. Talks
of
a need for unions in policing
were prevalentin the big cities: Boston, Washington, D.C.,New York, and
others. It
wasn't
long before similar sentiments reached the smaller
departments and unionism became apopular cause with police officers
throughout the nation.
The
First
Union
Campaign
The first campaign to organize police officers began shortly after World
War
I, when the American Federation of Labor issued charters to police
unions in Boston and about thirty other cities. This move brought heavy
334 October 1988
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