Despite Police Union Troubles, Officers Save Anger for Giuliani

By STEVEN GREENHOUSE
Published: February 17, 1997

With the indictment of union lawyers on racketeering charges and the Federal subpoena of union records, the 29,000 members of New York City's mighty Patrolmen's Benevolent Association might be expected to demand the scalps of their union leaders.

But many police officers have turned their anger in recent months not on the union's leaders, but on Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani. For instance, a flier that some police officers are distributing among the ranks demonstrates the depths of their discontent.

The flier, resembling part of a will, says, ''I, . . ., a New York City police officer, want all of my family and brother officers who read this to know'' that ''in the event of my death,'' Mr. Giuliani and his Police Commissioner should ''be denied attendance of any memorial service in my honor as their attendance would only bring disgrace to my memory.''

It is not known how many officers have signed the document, which is not officially blessed by the union.

To many police officers, last month's indictments and the continuing investigation of the union are a minuscule issue in their lives compared with the contract dispute. The officers are fuming that after playing a pivotal role in reducing crime, they remain, after 23 months, without a contract or raise, and the Mayor is pressuring them to accept a pay freeze for the first two years of a five-year contract.
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http://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/17/nyregion/despite-police-union-troubles-officers-save-anger-for-giuliani.html

Does any other union or public organization behave this way?