Chicago FOP President Suspended, Called 'A Dictator'

CHICAGO (CBS/STMW) -- The Illinois FOP has suspended the president of the union representing Chicago Police officers — and prohibited Mike Shields from negotiating with the city — after accusing him of violating his oath and branding him a "dictator," the Sun-Times is reporting.

This is just a witch hunt. This is a good ole boy system," said Shields.

"We believe that Michael Shields should resign as president of the lodge," said FOP Field Representative Saul Del Rivero.

Shields says the Past FOP President Mark Donahue, and Vice President Bill Dougherty among others rigged contract negotiations with the city - making agreements under the table beforehand, short-changing union members.

"And these are guys I firmly believe are in bed with the city of Chicago," said Shields.

But union reps who stand beside officers in times of trouble say Shields lacks evidence.

"We're Chicago police officers. We deal in facts. Not fiction," said Del Rivero.

And today in a statement on the FOP website they revealed the State FOP Lodge President is suspending Shields, stripping him of his powers - and replacing him with one of the men shields accused -vice president William Dougherty.

"This is something to grab headlines to distract from the real issue," said Shields.

Shields says this was a cheap shot - executed on a day union officials knew he'd planned to be out of the office.

CBS 2 also met a 19-year-veteran officer who is collecting petition signatures to force Shields to resign.

Shields says it was all done against the rules and he's assuming he's still in office.
The extraordinary step by State FOP President Ted Street was announced at a general membership meeting Tuesday night where a Monroe District beat car was called to "police the police" amid fears it could get ugly.

Street's power play comes just two days after Shields leveled the explosive charge that the last two police contracts, dictated by an independent arbitrator, were "fixed" in the city's favor and the recent sergeants contract arbitration may also have been rigged.

That was the final straw, but not the only reason Street triggered a disciplinary process that will culminate in an investigation by a five-member committee and a hearing before the State FOP's 30-member board, where Shields will have the opportunity to present a defense.

There was also an embarrassing paperwork mistake that Mayor Rahm Emanuel seized upon to deny rank-and-file police officers their automatic right to a retroactive pay raise in 2012. Shields apologized to his members for the oversight.

"We're all aware of his late filing for the demand to bargain and his late filing of an unfair labor practices complaint. We have in jeopardy a year's wage increase. The mayor's office has said that's in jeopardy. We have allegations that reflect upon the sergeants and the last [union] administration. There's been no factual basis forthcoming to justify his allegations," Street said Wednesday.

"There comes a point where, enough's enough. We serve the members and not ourselves. It's a culmination of the judgment he's exercised, his leadership style, how he has not acted in the best interest of the Chicago FOP membership. I've attended meetings. I've watched how he runs them, with no parliamentarian. He's operating as a dictator. He's needs to understand that it's not his way and only his way. Everyone answers to someone."

During the Tuesday night meeting, Shields sent defiant text messages to the Chicago Sun-Times. He claimed the state FOP was doing the bidding of the former union leaders whom Shields has accused of being in cahoots with the city.

"They can't remove me. They don't have the authority. It's an illegal act and frivolous," he wrote in the Tuesday night text.

"The state president is Mark Donahue's little lackey. Mark Donahue will try every play in the book. He should be apologizing to the members for screwing them over. I've done more fighting against the city than Mark Donahue has done in nine years. Unlike him, I don't play ball with the city," Shields wrote in another text, referring to the immediate past FOP president.

What Shields didn't mention is that his six handpicked field representatives walked off the stage to dramatize their demand that he resign. That forced Shields to deliver his president's report while standing alone, a "pathetic" sight, according to one officer in attendance.

According to those in the meeting, Shields finished his report. Then each field representative came to the stage to give his report — and walked off again.

A state FOP representative handed Shields papers saying he was being brought up on charges to remove him from office.

At one point during the meeting, an on-duty sergeant and two officers were dispatched to the FOP hall at 1412 W. Washington to "ensure that order and safety was maintained," said Adam Collins, a spokesman for the CPD.

"But at no point did CPD interfere with the business of the union."

Contacted Wednesday, Shields refused to say whether he plans to fight the charges or even whether he plans to run for re-election in March.

He would only say: "I've blown the whistle against Mark Donahue, Bill Dougherty, Rich Aguilar and Greg Bella. This action by the State FOP is all being orchestrated by Mark Donahue and the others. They're retaliating against me for revealing this to the inspector general."

Sources said Dougherty has been considering running against Shields for president. Shields banished Dougherty from FOP headquarters, and he's been assigned to a beat car in the Morgan Park District. Dougherty, the elected first vice president, will likely be selected to replace Shields because he's next in line in the FOP hierarchy, the sources said.

At Tuesday night's meeting, nominating petitions were collected for those running for office, according to those who attended.

Shields has been a thorn in the mayor's side with his constant demands for more police hiring to ease a severe manpower shortage. An actuarial report distributed by Shields helped to torpedo a sergeants' contract that the mayor hoped to use as a roadmap for solving the city's nearly $20 billion pension crisis.

Emanuel got even by offering Chicago Police officers a 5 percent pay raise over three years — with no retroactive pay raise — and demanding that active officers double their health care contributions while new retirees pay 4 percent of annuities for coverage now provided for free. Rank-and-file police officers have been working off an old contract that expired last year.

The disarray within the Chicago Police union can only strengthen the mayor's hand at the bargaining table as a pivotal deadline looms for the city to contribute $600 million to stabilize police and fire pension fines.

But those involved in the coup say it's designed to level the playing field by restoring stability to a union in upheaval.

"He's gone off the deep end," said one of Shields' detractors. "When he is eliminated, we can get back to day-to-day operations. We will move on."

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)