Dozens of policemans in a sectarian New York cops division near the Canadian boundary have actually been fined for supposedly participating in an unapproved labor strike throughout a snowy stretch this winter season.
The union explained the penalties as revenge and a misuse of power that rejected the policemans due procedure.
One of the policemans claims the claims aren’t real. He mosted likely to function, took part in on-duty training and also made an intoxicated driving quit throughout a period when it snowed “every day.”
“They’re upset that we didn’t make them enough money and meet their perceived ticket quota,” claimed Andy Thompson, a Tonawanda Police police officer and the head of state of the division’s union, theTonawanda Police Club
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Tonawanda Police Chief James Stauffiger after an honor event inMarch The regional cops union is promoting his ouster after participants were implicated of an unapproved strike. (Town of Tonawanda Police Department)
Tonawanda Police Chief James Stauffiger, whom the union is asking community homeowners to oust, claimed Thompson’s claims are “without merit.”
“I stand behind the charges filed against the union with the Public Employees Relations Board and the individual officers,” he informedFox News Digital “The process needs to unfold fairly and thoroughly.”
Thompson is amongst the almost 50 policemans implicated of going on strike without permission for one hour a day over a nine-day stretch and has actually had 2 hours of pay anchored for each and every of those days, according to a letter he obtained that was authorized by Tonawanda Town Supervisor Joe Emminger.
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“We didn’t strike. We showed up to work every day. We did our jobs every day,” Thompson informedFox News Digital “We didn’t write enough tickets, and we didn’t put enough money in the town’s coffers. And they decided they’re going to fine each officer.”
Ticket allocations are prohibited under New York legislation, he kept in mind, and office revenge can be, also.
Between late January right into February, the community obtained a lot snowfall it lacked roadway salt, and there was a boost in cops phone calls. Officers were additionally called for to invest 16 hours doing necessary training with brand-new department-issued weapons, all throughout a staffing lack after 7 policemans retired or left at the beginning of the brand-new year, Thompson informedFox News Digital
The Tonawanda Police Department head office (Google Maps)
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This year, Tonawanda Police has actually released 123 tickets, according to a declaring withNew York’s Public Employment Relations Board Between 2021 and 2024, the division released in between 439 and 653 over the exact same duration. Town leaders affirmed in the paper that the reduction is the outcome of policemans striking without authorization in offense of the state’s public service regulations.
“It’s unheard of,” claimed Mike O’Meara, the head of state of the Police Conference of New York, the state’s biggest cops union. “They’re making this up as they go along.”
He called the community’s labor problem versus Tonawanda policemans “unprecedented,” in addition to the penalties, which are dual the per hour wage of policemans for each and every hour they were supposedly striking.
“It may be somewhat unprecedented to claim that a reduction in the issuance of traffic tickets constitutes a strike,” claimed Jerry Cutler, writer of “Legal Guide to Human Resources” and a Columbia University speaker. “However, the critical issue from a legal standpoint is whether the employees have abstained from performing their duties in the normal manner.”
Andy Thompson is the head of state of the regional cops union, the Tonawanda Police Club, and was implicated of participating in an unapproved strike. (Andy Thompson)
Experts claim that, fight apart, it comes down to whoever has even more persuading proof.
“A reduction in ticket volume may point to a concerted effort to interfere with the employer’s operations, in which case the action would likely be found to constitute an unlawful strike,” Cutler informedFox News Digital “Alternatively, the evidence may suggest some legitimate reason for the reduced ticket volume – or that this is not an apt means of comparison – which would lead to a finding that the law has not been violated.”
Department leaders claim policemans went on strike to object corrective actions taken versus Tonawanda Officer Bikramjit Singh, a UNITED STATE Army seasoned implicated of messing up proof while exploring a prospective medicine bargain.
“He had his body camera on. He opens this water bottle. There’s a bag in there,” Thompson claimed. “He looks at the bag. … He says it’s garbage. He wraps it up in his glove, and he disposes of it.”
However, a thought pusher and thought drug addict later on informed cops there were medicines guaranteed, and division authorities relocated to have Singh terminated for tossing it out, Thompson claimed. The affirmed medicines were never ever recouped, however Singh ended up surrendering because being terminated can have cost him his police accreditations, Thompson claimed.
Tonawanda Supervisor Joe Emminger talks throughout his State of the Town addressFeb 7, 2025. He is associated with a recurring conflict with the regional cops union. (Town of Tonawanda/Facebook)
Tensions were currently simmering in between the rank-and-file and Stauffiger, an Emminger appointee that they charge of unjustly compeling Singh out and withholding documents that would certainly permit him to discover brand-new work in police in one more division.
Stauffiger, a 30-year participant of the division, was designated primary 5 years earlier as component of an initiative to get rid of corruption from the division. Thompson, also, stands for brand-new management, having actually been head of state of the union for simply over a year.
“There’s no due process, and this whole thing was done between the supervisor and the law firm that represents the town, who also donates large amounts of money to the town supervisors’ campaign and the Town of Tonawanda Democratic Party’s campaigns,” Thompson claimed, mentioning public documents. “So, it’s more of a witch hunt than anything.”
Emminger did not react to an ask for remark. Neither did the community’s law office.
Thompson thinks the claims note the very first time the state’s public service legislation has actually been utilized to penalize policeman for falling short to satisfy “quotas” after he claims the community shed cash because of a reduction in website traffic citations released throughout the snowfall.
“This is going to end up being case law by the time this is all over,” Thompson claimed. “This has never been done to a police union before.”
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The union has actually released a public project prompting homeowners to require that regional leaders get rid of Stauffiger, that they charge of revenge and harassment and withholding “basic gear,” consisting of winter season layers.
According to the union, while policemans were supposedly on strike, the division still made 7 intoxicated driving apprehensions, released greater than 300 tickets and replied to almost 2,000 even more require solution than the exact same duration a year previously with 14 less policemans.
“The real losers are town residents,” O’Meara informedFox News Digital “They’re saying, ‘Make sure you tag the residents of this town.’”
