City police union may boycott St. Patrick's Day work

The city's police union says officers might refuse to work off-duty security jobs during this year's St. Patrick's Day festivities -- which draw tens of thousands of revelers -- in response to what it described as the city's second-class treatment of police.

The union will meet Thursday to discuss a possible work stoppage, which would take place March 12, the day of the city's St. Patrick's Day parade. Officers could refuse to work extra duty that day "and possibly at future major city events," union president Dan O'Hara wrote in a memo to members this week.

"This action is being taken due to the continued treatment of our members as second-class employees by the city of Pittsburgh," the memo says.

Among their complaints, union leaders have said they are upset by the city's appeal of an arbitrator's decision to reinstate Sgt. Eugene Hlavac, who was found not guilty of domestic violence but who, officials contend, violated the city's zero-tolerance policy on domestic abuse. A judge last month upheld the arbitrator's decision and reversed the firing.

Deputy Chief Paul Donaldson said officers' refusal to work off-duty details won't jeopardize safety at the parade because the bureau assigns additional police to work parade security. He couldn't say how many extra officers will be on hand to work the parade, but he said some will already be on duty while others will be called to work overtime on their days off. More than 135 officers were on duty during and after last year's parade.

Officers can, however, opt not to work security at bars in Market Square and the South Side, where St. Patrick's Day revelry erupts throughout the day.

If an incident happens where there is no off-duty officer available, others from the zones would respond, Chief Donaldson said.

"The off-duty detail certainly does add an additional level of security within the city, but it's their right to work it or not to work it," he said, adding that such a job action is still "only a proposal right now."





First published on March 1, 2011 at 9:42 pm