Bill Nemec, president of the Police Officers Association, just called. He told me that while he is disappointed by the decision of a federal judge to dismiss a case brought against the city by hundreds of local cops, the process of bringing the lawsuit has had some positive effects.
The lawsuit has helped to bring into the open long-simmering issues at the San Diego Police Department, Nemec said.
Though he said the union will have to sit down with its lawyers to consider whether or not to appeal the judge’s decision, Nemec said the compensation issues that were raised in the case — such as whether police officers should be paid overtime for putting on their uniforms or readying their equipment — may now become a part of the annual labor negotiations between the union and the city.
“This has clarified a lot of issues. It’s brought into the light a lot of issues that have been just under the surface for many, many years,” Nemec said. “It’s going to give us an opportunity to either openly discuss them at the negotiating table, or we will pursue this litigation.”