Swift and effective measures by Local 237 succeeded in reversing a New York Police Department order to deploy about 100 school safety agents to perform high-risk security functions at the Republican National Convention at Madison Square Garden from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2.

The NYPD’s plan would have violated the collective bargaining agreement and the civil service law prohibiting assignments of out-of-title work.

Following an injunction and temporary restraining order filed by the union Aug. 11, the city’s Law Department conceded that the assignment was improper, and that afternoon the NYPD rescinded the plan.

“Our members are not to replace uniformed police officers,” said Local 237 President Carl Haynes at a press conference Aug. 12 announcing the union’s victory. “School safety agents are being asked to perform work for which they have neither the proper training and equipment, nor the compensation.”

While patrolling the convention, agents would have been expected to make arrests, conduct searches, guard and transport prisoners, scan for weapons, take fingerprints and play other front-line police-officer duties. In addition, they would be put through extensive background checks and may have been required to receive inoculations against potential biological and chemical attacks.

SSAs are capable, but they are not trained or paid to face such health and safety risks. Unlike police officers, they are not issued bullet-proof vests or weapons, nor are they entitled to unlimited leave due to on-the-job injury.

The issue surfaced Aug. 2 when the NYPD put out a memo from its counterterrorism unit saying that about 100 school safety agents would be deployed to the convention. Immediately, President Carl Haynes wrote to NYPD Commissioner Raymond P. Kelly, protesting the plan and requesting a meeting to discuss the matter. When the commissioner failed to respond, the union filed a grievance with the Office of Labor Relations. Again, there was no response. Ultimately, on Aug. 11, Local 237 filed for an injunction and temporary restraining order, expecting to be in court the next day. Instead, the union was notified that the NYPD rescinded its order.

“We’re very happy about that,” said Haynes, who nevertheless warned that “there is concern of retaliation against members for invoking their rights.”


End to Summer Hours

Simultaneously with rescinding its order, the NYPD told task force agents that their summer hours would be stopped. These agents, who work outside or in schools with no air-conditioning, enjoy a seven-hour day in the summer, and resume eight-hour days just before Labor Day. “For the next three weeks, they’ll be required to work eight-hour days, and will lose about 100 hours,” said Gregory Floyd, director of the Citywide Division.

Trying to save money by deploying school safety agents to do police work at the convention is the latest example of how “the current administration of the New York Police Department has demeaned our members,” said Haynes. “On taking office, Commissioner Kelly delivered several insults to our members, including no longer allowing SSAs to take a promotional exam for NYPD Patrolman, making them compete with applicants off the street; no longer permitting SSAs to substitute two years’ experience for two years of college credits required of applicants for patrolman, and changing their title from school safety officer to school safety agent — clearly a derogation of their law enforcement function.”

Haynes added: “We urge the NYPD to show respect for our members’ capabilities 365 days a year, not when it suddenly becomes expedient to do so because of the requirements of the Republican Convention.”