If there ever was a time that law enforcement officers needed to sharpen their political skills, it is now. Elected officials from municipalities, counties, and states are all claiming deficit budgets and trying to impose significant cutbacks in service. As we all know, public safety is their largest expense.

No governmental body can possibly demand economic cutbacks and then couple them with increased demands for service without taking something away from the rank and file working police officer.

The first shot has come from the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) which is proposing major changes in the definitions governing who is eligible for overtime and who can be required to accept compensatory time instead of overtime pay.

I.U.P.A.'s legal department estimates that as many as 200,000 law enforcement officers stand to lose overtime pay under the DOL proposal. I.U.P.A. has made this attack its number one priority. Legislative Director Dennis Slocum and I are bringing this to the forefront for discussions.

DOL is attempting to radically change overtime rules without Congressional oversight and to overturn more than 130 federal court decisions that previously had upheld your right to Fair Labor Standards Act protection. The I.U.P.A. was instrumental in winning many of those FLSA law suits on your behalf. You cannot afford to stand idly by while this attack is made on your most crucial benefit, overtime. While we will continue to fight - and fight hard - to protect our hard-won protections, all of you must be prepared to do your part.

If you haven't been politically active in your own community, if you haven't singled out your own elected representatives from the city council to the U.S. Congress, you should begin immediately. Your local union or association must monitor local and state government closely. This fight will take a concerted effort to protect the gains we have made over the years. By signaling elected officials that we are united and strong, we hope to turn the growing tide of cutting costs on the backs of public safety and again move forward.

Your association leaders can only have an effective voice in Washington if each and every one of you contacts the people who depend on your votes to get elected. We can make your message heard loud and clear in Washington if you put forward the effort to reinforce it at the local, county, and state level. We are only as strong as the total sum of our collective voices and our future demands that we speak out loudly and speak out together.

Sam A. Cabral is the international president of the International Association of Police Associations (IUPA).

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites