GOP councilor would rather abolish police force than see it unionize

By Daniel Tencer
Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 -- 12:51 pm
Share on Facebook Stumble This!

erickerickson GOP councilor would rather abolish police force than see it unionizeA conservative politician in Georgia is telling his hometown police force to stop looking for the union label, or find new jobs.

Erick Erickson, the managing editor of RedState.com and a city councilor in Macon, Georgia, has called for the abolition of Macon's police force if it votes to unionize.

The Macon Telegraph reported on Monday that some 130 police officers on the city's municipal force want to unionize because of "officers bearing the burden of rising insurance costs, a loss of incentive pay and the city not having a pay scale."

"I’m thinking I’ll have the City Attorney draft me legislation to dissolve the police department and contract with the Sheriff to provide public safety services," Erickson wrote on the blog Peach Pundit.

"You didn’t read that incorrectly," blogs Zaid Jilani. "Councilman Erickson’s response to the possibility of Macon’s cops forming a labor union is to abolish the police department."

Story continues below...

The Telegraph reported on Tuesday:

Police Sgt. Steve Draper said word spread after a group of 18 officers had meetings with the Teamsters’ Law Enforcement League over the past several months.

The Law Enforcement League represents 35,000 police officers in 26 states, said Jim Romar, a national field representative for the organization.

If officers vote to unionize, the department could be the first police department in the state partnering with a professional labor organization, Romar said.

The paper also noted that Georgia is a “right to work” state, meaning that although unions aren't illegal in the state, no one can be compelled to join one.

Share this article:
  • Print this article!
  • E-mail this story to a friend!
  • Digg
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Story comments are below...
  • Gindy51
    What do you want to bet every cop on the force votes GOP?
  • "What do you want to bet every cop on the force votes GOP?"

    Not anymore.
  • WJM
    Typical republican BS. Do everything MY way or I will pass a law that ruins everything for EVERYBODY. If I can't pass a law, I will find some way to make sure it's ruined for everybody. Oh, and isn't it wonderful that we live in such a free country?

    This guy looks like he has as much brain power as it sounds like he has. Only a republican would have such a hissy fit. What an idiot.
  • allenallen
    "city councilor in Macon, Georgia" Why... he's the government... can't trust him! Government never solves anything. Get rid of the City Council! They're Nazi Marxists trying to abolish our freedoms. I hear that Hitler's Germany had city councils!
  • palmharbor11
    How about firing him for poor judgement
  • alverant
    Who does he think he is, Wal-mart?
  • Thomas Jefferson
    narrow minded idiots our carrying the water for their GOP masters at the expense of the people.

    yes, they are that dumb.
  • stevenlee
    what the councilor wants to do is illegal and doesn't surprise me coming from a conservative politician as conservatives usually flap their trap and display their total ignorance of the issue at hand and the legal precedents against anti union retalitation like this guy wants to legislate and adds weight to the need to organize against such loutish behavior from a elected official. what a disgrace to his state.
  • dennycrane
    Of course they would. Let's go back to the "old" days when we just took the "law" into our own hands. Or, when "fire departments" were private and you had to "rent" your own "company." So, you would put a "sticker" on your house designating "your" fire company. If a fire broke out and the wrong company came and noticed you were not their "customer", they would just keep going. It took the Chicago Fire, back in the day of "O'Rileys" barn (maybe just a yarn), to show the people that a good "commons" needs a "common" fire department. But, hell, these bastards don't care. They live in gated communities, guarded by "people" that we pay for, to protect them from "us" basically kicking their ass.
  • BobC596
    Well that's inviting one big freakin' fat unfair labor practice in violation of section 8 of the NLRA. What a complete and total dolt.
  • Abraham Ben Judea: Yeah, it's the firemen who put grandma out on the street, not Goldman-Sachs, right? YOU are a shill!
  • Abraham Ben Judea used what they call the "straw man argument": make up a nasty thing, and assign who you don't like to it. In this case, Abraham Ben Judea is against unions (not Goldman-Sachs or billionaires, right?).

    So, firemen, making maybe $20/hr put "grandma" out on the street, huh Abraham Ben Judea? YOU don't want someone to make a living wage, you shill!
  • liberaldawg
    Maybe he would prefer a bunch of guys in brown shirts and
    steel helmets?
  • Savantster
    .
    Isn't it against Federal Law to block the formation of Unions? If so, then this Rethug is engaged in criminal conspiracy to break Federal Laws.. shouldn't he be removed from office for violating the public trust?
    .
  • Yes...and it's very clear especially when it comes to government do's and don'ts.
  • This is a battle Mr. Erickson is poised to lose.
  • marxy mcliberalson
    Are you shocked? THis is the natural progression. I always ask these keep the govt off my back types if you get rid of govt what about roads? police? fire? schools? The ones who have actually thought this through a little more than just repeating nazi stuff they heard on Glenn Beck, will say that we need to get rid of them too. Private schools, personal fire departments, toll roads and paid security contracts! The fat white males (or the Haves) which most likely will end up being about 10% will get smooth roads, school books and computers, their fires put out and their crimes investigated. The rest of us (Havenots) will get shit, shit and more shit. The Union is just a convenient excuse.
  • Jim Lunsford
    Well, gettting rid of a police force is a step in getting rid of crime. Certainly would cut down on the tazering if we didn't have cops.
  • m
    I suspect that threatening job abolition is an NLRB violation.
  • BINGO!!!!
blog comments powered by Disqus