Blue flu

Last updated

A blue flu is a type of strike action undertaken by police officers in which a large number simultaneously use sick leave. [1] A blue flu is a preferred strike action by police in some parts of the United States where police strikes are prohibited by law. [1] [2] [3] [4] At times, the matter goes to court, [5] such as when officers need to undergo medical examination to prove genuine illness. [6] A 2019 opinion piece in The New York Times contrasted blue flu with a strike, calling it "a quiet form of protest, with no stated principles or claim for public attention or sympathy." [7] Unlike most strikes, blue flu tends to be focused and of short duration. [6] [8] [9]

Contents

History

The term itself [10] and similar terms [11] [ relevant? ] have been used where unions could be heavily penalized. Alternatives to these terms include "slowdown" and "virtual work stoppage." [12]

In the United States blue flu work stoppages have been used many times:

Reasons

Some of the common reasons for these actions are:

Sometimes the proclaimed reason masks something else, such as when enforcing an unpopular decision is claimed to be a contract violation. [24]

In the view of police abolitionist Josie Duffy Rice blue flu is the result of: calls for police accountability or a perceived public critique of policing or police culture of any kind, of in an attempt to blackmail the public into abandoning attempts at police reform and/or removing public officials who advocate accountability. [25]

In Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu , a novel based on the TV series Monk , the main character is given a chance to return to his city's police force during a labor dispute. It's distasteful to him that "he'll be a 'scab'." [26] A blue flu strike was also a background premise to "The Party's Over", a season 5 episode of CSI NY , aired in 2009; as well as an eponymous episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine in 2021.

The idea of the Blue Flu was referenced in the Babylon 5 episode By Any Means Necessary in 1995, with respect to a labour strike.

"Barney Miller", a sitcom about NYPD detectives in a Greenwich Village precinct, ran a two-part Blue Flu episode called "Strike" in March 1977.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strike action</span> Work stoppage by employees

Strike action, also called labor strike, labour strike and industrial action in British English, or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became common during the Industrial Revolution, when mass labor became important in factories and mines. As striking became a more common practice, governments were often pushed to act. When government intervention occurred, it was rarely neutral or amicable. Early strikes were often deemed unlawful conspiracies or anti-competitive cartel action and many were subject to massive legal repression by state police, federal military power, and federal courts. Many Western nations legalized striking under certain conditions in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New York City Police Department</span> Municipal police force of New York City

The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, municipal police departments in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killing of Amadou Diallo</span> 1999 police shooting of a Guinean-American man

In the early hours of February 4, 1999, an unarmed 23-year-old Guinean student named Amadou Diallo was fired upon with 41 rounds and shot a total of 19 times by four New York City Police Department plainclothes officers: Sean Carroll, Richard Murphy, Edward McMellon, and Kenneth Boss. Carroll later claimed to have mistaken Diallo for a rape suspect from one year earlier.

Work-to-rule is a job action in which employees do no more than the minimum required by the rules of their contract or job, and strictly follow time-consuming rules normally not enforced. This may cause a slowdown or decrease in productivity if the employer does not hire enough employees or pay the appropriate salary and consequently does not have the requirements needed to run normally. It is a form of protest against low pay and poor working conditions, and is considered less disruptive than a strike; obeying the rules is not susceptible to disciplinary action or loss of pay. It can also highlight rules that are technically in place but impractical and thus hamper the organization, if they were to be followed as written.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltimore police strike</span> 1974 labor action

The Baltimore Police Strike was a 1974 labor action conducted by officers of the Baltimore Police Department. Striking officers sought better wages and changes to BPD policy. They also expressed solidarity with Baltimore municipal workers, who were in the midst of an escalating strike action that began on July 1. On July 7, police launched a campaign of intentional misbehavior and silliness; on July 11 they began a formal strike. The department reported an increase in fires and looting, and the understaffed BPD soon received support from Maryland State Police. The action ended on July 15, when union officials negotiated an end to both strikes. The city promised police officers a wage increase in 1975, but refused amnesty for the strikers. Police Commissioner Donald Pomerleau revoked the union's collective bargaining rights, fired its organizers, and pointedly harassed its members.

Roger Toussaint is an American worker who led the December 20th, 2005 New York City transit strike which lasted three days and shut down bus and subway service in the city. Toussaint was the president of the Transport Workers Union (TWU) Local 100 in New York City (NYC) from January 2001 through December 2009. TWU Local 100 represents the majority of hourly employees at the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA), Manhattan and the Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority (MaBSTOA), MTA Bus and is the largest local transportation union in the USA. As a result of this strike, the union was fined heavily and Toussaint jailed briefly. The December 2005 strike was the first strike shutting down public transportation in NYC in 25 years.

Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York Police union for NYPD police officers

The Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York (PBA) is the largest police union representing police officers of the New York City Police Department. It represents about 24,000 of the department's 36,000 officers.

<i>Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu</i> Novel by Lee Goldberg

Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu is the third novel by writer Lee Goldberg based on the television series Monk. In this novel, in response to a blue flu, the mayor of San Francisco reinstates several police officers who suffer from debilitating mental issues, including Adrian Monk. The squad of half-crazy detectives must contend not only with each other's eccentricities and a series of murders linked only by missing left shoes and shared birth dates, but their former friends on the other side of the labor dispute. Like the previous two books, the book is narrated by Natalie Teeger, Monk's assistant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thin blue line</span> Figurative reference to the position of police in society

The "thin blue line" is a term that typically refers to the concept of the police as the line between law-and-order and chaos in society. The "blue" in "thin blue line" refers to the blue color of the uniforms of many police departments.

A police strike is a potential tactic when law enforcement workers are embroiled in a labour dispute. Sometimes military personnel are called in to keep order or discipline the strikers. Police strikes have the potential to cause civil unrest.

The 1971 NYPD work stoppage occurred for five days between January 14 and January 19, 1971, when around 20,000 New York City police officers refused to report for regular duty. While officers maintained that they would continue to respond to serious crimes and emergencies, they refused to carry out routine patrolling duties, leading in some cases to as few as 200 officers being on the street in the city.

The Milwaukee police strike was a 1981 police strike in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Police surveillance in New York City</span>

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) actively monitors public activity in New York City, New York, United States. Historically, surveillance has been used by the NYPD for a range of purposes, including against crime, counter-terrorism, and also for nefarious or controversial subjects such as monitoring political demonstrations, activities, and protests, and even entire ethnic and religious groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dermot Shea</span> American police officer

Dermot Francis Shea is an American police officer who was the 44th New York City Police Commissioner. He assumed the position on December 1, 2019, and was sworn in by Mayor Bill de Blasio in a public ceremony on December 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">George Floyd protests in New York City</span> 2020 civil unrest in New York City after the murder of George Floyd

George Floyd protests in New York City took place at several sites in each of the five New York City boroughs, starting on May 28, 2020, in reaction to the murder of George Floyd. Most of the protests were peaceful, while some sites experienced protester and/or police violence, including several high-profile incidents of excessive force. Looting became a parallel issue, especially in Manhattan. As a result, and amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the city was placed under curfew from June 1–7, the first curfew in the city since 1943.

A police union is a trade union for police officers. Police unions formed later than most other occupations, reflecting both a conservative tendency and relatively superior working conditions. The first police unions formed in the United States. Shortly after World War I, the rising cost of living, wage reductions, concerns over amount of rest and growing dissatisfaction among rank and file police officers led to a number of police strikes from 1918–1923 and the formation of police unions globally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Killing of Rayshard Brooks</span> June 2020 police killing in Atlanta, Georgia

On the night of June 12, 2020, Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old African American man, was confronted by officers of the APD and was shot by Atlanta Police Department (APD) officer Garrett Rolfe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Lives Matter protests in New York City</span> Anti-racism protests in New York City

New York City has been the site of many Black Lives Matter protests in response to incidents of police brutality and racially motivated violence against black people. The Black Lives Matter movement began as a hashtag after the shooting death of African-American teen Trayvon Martin, and became nationally recognized for street demonstrations following the 2014 deaths of two African Americans, Michael Brown and Eric Garner. Garner was killed in the Staten Island borough of New York City, leading to protests, demonstrations, and work towards changes in policing and the law. Following the murder of George Floyd in Minnesota in 2020, the global response included extensive protests in New York City, and several subsequent changes to policy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Reagan (Blue Bloods)</span> Fictional character

Francis Xavier Reagan is a fictional character from the TV series Blue Bloods portrayed by Tom Selleck. In the series, Reagan is the New York City Police Commissioner, the son of a former Commissioner, and the patriarch of a family of police officers and others involved in aspects of the city's criminal justice system. Selleck's performance in the role has been critically praised, but the character has been criticized by some for presenting an overly positive view of law enforcement administration.

References

  1. 1 2 Spears, Richard (2008). McGraw-Hill's Essential American Slang. McGraw-Hill. p. 235. ISBN   978-0071589345.
  2. ↑ Cox, Steven (2013). Introduction to Policing. SAGE Publications. ISBN   978-1483321899.
  3. ↑ "blue flu". Legal Information Institute. Cornell University . Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  4. ↑ Rampell, Catherine (January 8, 2015). "NYPD should go ahead and strike". The Washington Post . Retrieved December 30, 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Injunction ends a police strike". The New York Times . January 28, 1971.
  6. 1 2 Jeremy W. Peters (June 26, 2002). "Michigan: Preventing 'Blue Flu'". The New York Times. planning to take part in a 'sick-out' on Wednesday
  7. ↑ Barbara Ehrenreich; Gary Stevenson (January 14, 2019). "Opinion: It's Time for T.S.A. Workers to Strike". The New York Times.
  8. ↑ George Vecsey (May 7, 2010). "Walking Tentatively in Protesters' Shoes". The New York Times. mysterious ailment that strikes police officers suddenly, overnight, during times of labor disagreements, causing them to miss a shift.
  9. ↑ "Around the nation: Safety Officers End Columbus Job Action". The New York Times. UPI. February 25, 1983. returning to their jobs after two days of the blue flu.
  10. ↑ Newhill, Christina E.; Wexler, Sandra (November 18, 1992). "Client violence toward children and youth services social workers". Children and Youth Services Review. 19 (3): 195–212. doi:10.1016/S0190-7409(97)00014-5. caseworkers get 'blue fever'
  11. ↑ McCartin, Joseph A. (January 14, 2009). "It's time for Federal Workers to get sick". police get 'blue flu,' fire fighters the 'red rash,' and teachers 'chalk-dust fever.'
  12. 1 2 3 Clare Sestanovich (January 6, 2015). "A Short History of Police Protest: From Calvin Coolidge to Bill de Blasio". The Marshall Project.
  13. ↑ Andrew, Grim (July 1, 2020). "What is the 'blue flu' and how has it increased police power?". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  14. ↑ Shepherd, Katie (June 18, 2020). "Atlanta police call in sick to protest murder charge against officer who shot Rayshard Brooks". The Washington Post.
  15. ↑ Almasy, Steve; Young, Ryan; Sayers, Devon M. (June 18, 2020). "Atlanta police shortages continue for second day". CNN. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  16. ↑ Brennan, Cianan (October 2016). "Looking back: Here's how things looked the last time the gardaí went on strike". TheJournal.ie.
  17. ↑ "Review will recommend that gardaí can join trade unions". independent. December 12, 2016.
  18. ↑ Hennessy, Michelle (August 7, 2016). "Factcheck: Is it illegal for gardaí to go on strike?". TheJournal.ie.
  19. ↑ Kirk Johnson (September 23, 1991). "Three Killed in New Haven During a Sickout by Police". The New York Times. angered by .. city's Police Chief ... disciplinary proceedings against two officers involved in the killing of a drug suspect .. had been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing ..the police officers' union voted .. to ask the chief to resign.
  20. ↑ "'Blue Flu' Hits Policemen". The New York Times. AP. January 14, 1971.
  21. ↑ "'Blue Flu': Expensive Epidemic". Los Angeles Times . June 1, 1994. working without a contract or pay raise since 1991 .. the last three years
  22. ↑ The closure of "nearly 100" Irish police stations due to budgeting reasons even as the murder of a Detective was still an open matter: Hugh O'Connell (February 4, 2013). "'It's not on' - Garda Commissioner critical of work-to-rule, 'blue flu' threats". the issue of station closures ... is an emotive issue
  23. ↑ German Lopez (December 31, 2014). "New York City police officers are protesting by refusing to work. It's not the first time". Vox Media. 'From the police point of view, they are working a very, very dangerous job,' Thompson said
  24. ↑ John Kifner (September 8, 1975). "Guardsmen in Boston for Busing Today". The New York Times. contention that the contract has been broken by a change of shifts and overtime orders ... Night shift officers have complained .. will lose their night differential if they work overtime during the day.
  25. ↑ Rice, Josie Duffy (August 25, 2020). "The Abolition Movement". Vanity Fair . Retrieved September 4, 2020. Calls for accountability are often met with indignance and threats to desert those most affected by crime. The practice of officers, at the slightest sign of public critique, calling in sick en masse and refusing to do their jobs has long been called 'blue flu.'
  26. ↑ Lee Goldberg. "Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.