Newark, NJ-Mystery ailment strikes PD and FD

[NJFFSA16]

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - After an unusual number of East Orange
police officers called out sick Wednesday and were joined by
firefighters in a sickout Thursday, the city said it would meet the
demands of unions for both groups, which have been without
contracts for five years.
"An accord has been reached," said Darryl Jeffries, a
spokesman for Mayor Robert Bowser.
Jeffries said the Bowser administration would drop its appeal of
last month's state arbitrator's ruling that granted pay raises
totaling 12.5 percent over seven years to police. The raises would
be retroactive to Jan. 1, 1999, when the most recent police
contract expired.
Sgt. Delacey Davis, acting spokesman for the Fraternal Order of
Police Lodge 111, called the announcement "great news" but said
the union wanted the deal in writing.
Davis said he did not know whether officers would report to work
as usual on Friday. But he said the police union would hold a 9
a.m. press conference urging them to do so.
"If they're well enough," he added.
More than 40 percent of the East Orange Police Department - 122
officers out of 284 - called out sick Thursday, after about 50
called out the day before, Davis said.
On Thursday, firefighters also seemed to have come down with
what Bowser had referred to as "blue flu," with 16 of 23
firefighters assigned to duty on Thursday calling out, said Fire
Chief Timothy Weiss.
"Yes, we had a work action by firefighters," Weiss said.
Weiss and Jeffries said the fire and police departments made
staffing adjustments to compensate and that the shortages had no
negative effect on public safety.
Davis denied that the police union had organized the sickouts.
But he said officers' frustration had steadily mounted after their
contract expired at the end of 1998, leaving them without a pay
raise in five years.
In its appeal of the labor arbitrator's ruling, Bowser had said
the city took exception to a contract clause that would have
provided extra financial benefits to officers with 22 years or more
experience.
Jeffries said an arbitrator granted similar raises to
firefighters, but the firefighters appealed the decision.
Jeffries said he didn't know what led the firefighters to
appeal, or precisely what the city would do to satisfy the
firefighters' union.
Jeffries said the city would investigate the absenteeism, and
would discipline any employees found to have falsely reported being
ill.
Charles Salley, president of the Firemen's Benevolent
Association, the firefighters' union, could not be reached through
messages left with the police union and the fire department.
In the police dispute, Davis said officers were offended by
language the arbitrator attributed to the city comparing the danger
of police work to driving a taxi or working in a convenience store.

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

[Bones42]

Fire Chief Timothy Weiss and Jeffries (spokesman for Mayor Robert Bowser) said the fire and police departments made staffing adjustments to compensate and that the shortages had no fire and police departments made

And now they will come with "since they could do it with short staffing, we'll just fire some guys and maintain that low level."

[GeorgeWendtCFI]

EVERYONE PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS THE EAST ORANGE, NJ FD AND NOT THE NEWARK, NJ FD. HUGE DIFFERENCE!

[NJFFSA16]

I made a big boo boo...

Thanks George.....I should have caught that error.

I'm so embarassed.

East Orange......EAST ORANGE.

[NJFFSA16]

East Orange, NJ

EAST ORANGE, N.J. (AP) - An unusually high number of city police
officers continued to call in sick Friday, despite an assurance by
the city administration to address issues that have kept the
officers without a new contract or a raise in five years.
In what has been termed an epidemic of "blue flu," more than
100 officers from the 284-member department remained off the job,
even after Thursday's announcement that the city would drop an
appeal of a state arbitrator's ruling supported by the officers
union.
"We don't trust this administration, because it's just been all
talk for five years," said Officer William Shirden, president of
Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 111, which represents more than 200
officers.
The union wants something in writing, Shirden said. He said that
officers were angered that the mayor and council recently voted
themselves raises, and that the city had compared the danger
involved in their jobs to that of coal minors and convenience store
clerks.
Like the police, city firefighters are also awaiting a raise
after their last contract expired in 1999. But Charles Salley,
president of the Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association, said
he has no reason to doubt the city's word. There were 16
firefighters out sick on Thursday in what Salley said might have
been an action in solidarity with police, but he and Fire Chief
Timothy Weiss said the department was back up to full strength
Friday.
Sally and Shirden denied that their unions had organized a
formal job action, which city officials said would be illegal for
public employees.
Darryl Jeffries, a city spokesman, said Friday that the mayor
had directed the city's lawyers the day before to formally withdraw
the appeal, and he warned officers to get back on the beat.
"What do they expect? We had the announcement," Jeffries said.
"What these officers are engaged in is an illegal strike."

(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)