Fellow members,

Yesterday we lost a key ally in our fight for better pay. Rodger Koopman was a strong proponent for police officers. He forced this City manager to conduct a comprehensive pay study comparing RPD to major police departments across the county. I was able to give input as to which cities would be used in the comparison. I believe this was a major step toward making our pay more competitive with other large city police departments. With Koopman no longer on the city council I am not sure what will happen with this pay study. I also want to remind everyone we endorse candidates that support the rights of police officers and the candidates that will fight for better pay and benefits. We only consider those issues and you as a voter can decide which candidate you would like to vote for. Our job is to simply tell you which candidate supports the rank and file police officer. We have made progress with our endorsements and council members supporting our issues. We were able to pass dues check off, get an educational incentive passed, and maintain our health insurance deductibles and co-insurance. I know many members think these our minor issues but these victories have saved officers thousands of dollars each year. Our political endorsements have made these victories possible. We must continue to remain politically active and not let our personal opinions undermine the progress we have made with these endorsements.

We have scheduled a meeting with the Chief for tomorrow. We have a great deal of issues and rumors to bring to his attention. I have heard some concerns about our current schedule. If you are unhappy with the schedule please email me so I can gauge the number of officers that do not like it.

There will be a Teamster meeting on Saturday, October 17, 10:00 a.m. at the Teamster Union Hall. This is Teamster member appreciation day and there will be door prizes(TVs, Bikes, Jackets, Shirts, Hats, etc) and lunch will be served following the meeting. I encourage all of you to attend to get to know your fellow Teamster brothers and sisters.

Our next RPPA meeting is Wednesday, November 4, 7:00 p.m. at the Teamster Union Hall. Our attorney Lee Turner will be present at this meeting to discuss important legal issues.

Thanks for your support.
Rick Armstrong