Harp Blasts Police Union Leaders

Mayor Toni Harp came out swinging Thursday at the police union officials, challenging them to return to the negotiating table over a new contract rather than, in her view, taking pot shots at her.

Meanwhile, the union leaders stood by — and held their fire until a promised response on Friday.

That took place at a City Hall press conference, where Harp and her chief labor and public safety administrators responded to this recent New Haven Register article in which Officer Florencio Cotto Jr., the current president of New Haven Elm City Local, blamed the administration for the current exodus of police officers, especially minority officers. Suburban departments have been actively recruiting New Haven cops (whom the city has already paid to train) with salaries as much as $20,000 a year higher as well as more generous benefits.

With Cotto and about two dozen other police officers present, Harp praised the work of New Haven officers who have worked without a contract for the last three years. That contract is currently in arbitration. Fearing that they will lose pension and health benefits, dozens of officers, including the chief, have resigned or retired. Many more are looking for jobs elsewhere.

“We want officers that mirror the community. Well, let me tell you firsthand those same individuals who ​‘mirror’ the community are leaving the department for better wages and benefits for communities that they may in fact not ​‘mirror,’” Cotto said in the previous statement that rankled Harp. He cited Bridgeport as a city that was able to reach a contract with its police union.

Harp said she would put her record for hiring minority police officers up against any city in the United States. (Click here and here to read about recruiting efforts.)

“My administration has made hiring New Haven residents, African-American recruits, Hispanic recruits and women recruits a priority this past five years,” she said. ​“I won’t allow any opportunistic union official to besmirch that record as a negotiating strategy or to try and influence or to motivate his membership.”

Harp said that in the past four years 60 percent of the resignations from the department have been by white officers. She said the departures of African-American and Hispanic officers have been in proportion to the numbers of those officers recruited, hired and trained in that same time frame.

“Contrary to what has been reported, the demographics accurately reflect the community it serves and the departures do too,” Harp said. ​“My strong preference for the president of Elm City Local is for him to call me the next time he has something to say about this instead of calling a newspaper reporter.

“I would remind him and his members — the hard-working men and women who wear the New Haven Police Department badge, the route to a new contract runs right through my administration,” Harp added. ​“There are no alternative routes.”

Harp also blamed the union for the fact that the contract is in arbitration, where observers on both sides have been predicting that the city’s fiscal straits will help it win its case that it can’t afford to pay cops more or preserve benefit levels.

Harp said over a year ago her administration made an offer to the union with terms that were virtually identical to what has been offered to and accepted by police in Waterbury, and most recently signed in Bridgeport.

The mayor said the union ​“soundly rejected” that offer and ​“overwhelmingly voted” to enter into binding arbitration, all without ever offering even a counteroffer to the city. She said a counteroffer would still be welcomed.

“Let me say that again, union members chose binding arbitration over negotiation,” she said. ​“So if union members are frustrated, they’re free to second guess their leadership and their recommendations.”

Cotto and officers stayed quiet through the press event, not interrupting her as some leaders have done in the past. Afterward, Cotto declined to respond to Harp. He said he will hold a press conference at some time Friday, where he will respond.

Click on the video below to catch the entire press conference.

‘Quit the theatrics, quit the gamesmanship’

Read Harp’s full statement below:

Good morning, everybody. Thank you for joining us here at City Hall – welcome. Thank you for your interest in good government in New Haven, particularly when it comes to public safety.

City residents should know the New Haven Police Department continues its proud tradition of effective crime prevention and law enforcement, despite delays while working to settle on a new contract.

I know I speak for all city residents with gratitude for continuing professionalism in that department. 

Earlier this week, in a published piece, it was reported that New Haven’s prolonged contract impasse with its police officers’ union is the cause of widespread defection of New Haven police officers – especially among minority officers.

I won’t speculate about the motivation for that planted newspaper story, but I will say diversity in the New Haven Police Department – regarding race, cultural background, and gender – compares favorably with any city in the United States.

Furthermore, my administration has made hiring New Haven recruits, African-American recruits, Hispanic recruits, and women recruits a priority these past five years.

I won’t allow any opportunistic union official to besmirch that record as a negotiating strategy or to try and influence or motivate his membership.

The truth is: resignations from the NHPD over the past four years show fully 60 percent of those who resigned are white.

The percentages of African-American and Hispanic resignations mirror the percentages of those who have been recruited, hired, and trained in that time.

In a word, contrary to what was reported this week, the demographics of New Haven Police Department accurately reflect the community it serves, and departures from the department do, too.

My strong preference would be for the president of the New Haven Police – Elm City Local to call me the next time he has something to say about this instead of calling a newspaper reporter.

I would remind him and his members – the hard-working men and women who wear a New Haven Police Department badge: the route to a new contract runs right through my administration; there are no alternate routes.

As for details about contract negotiations, city residents should know an offer was made to the union last April – more than a year ago – with terms virtually identical to those agreed upon in Waterbury, and again just recently in Bridgeport.

That offer from New Haven was soundly rejected a year ago, and union members overwhelmingly chose to enter a binding arbitration process that continues to this day.

I’ll repeat that: union membership chose arbitration over negotiation, so if union members are frustrated, they’re free to second-guess their leadership and its recommendations.

By the way, the city has received no counter offer from the union in the year-plus since; a reasonable response from the union, even after all this time, would be welcome.

My invitation today is for leaders of the New Haven Police – Elm City Local to resume talks with administration officials to try and abbreviate the binding arbitration process or bypass it altogether – it’s not too late for that.

My suggestion is for union leaders to quit trying to out-maneuver, out-flank, or otherwise manipulate the process for some imaginary, quick settlement – with terms you haven’t yet even presented to the city.

My experience – and just plain common sense – tells me the men and women the union knows within my administration are likely to be more understanding than people they don’t know on the arbitration panel, and more likely to come to terms sooner.

My recommendation is for union leaders to quit the theatrics, quit the gamesmanship, and come to the table to get a deal done like they did in Waterbury and Bridgeport.

And now those of us assembled will try and answer any questions you might have. Thank you very much.