Background and key players
In 1919, the city of Boston faced an unusual situation where its police department went on an indefinite strike demanding the right to affiliate with the American Federation of Labor and for enhanced remuneration. In the decade before, the Boston Police Department’s officers received reasonable remunerations up to $1400 per year. The salaries graded according to the rank and position of the individual. The economic conditions were supportive for police officers to lead a reasonable lifestyle. However, all of that changed with the First World War. The years immediately following the end of the war were particularly hard on the police since the inflation rates rose steadily to cross the 75% mark. The police department’s remuneration also increased however, only by fifteen percent (Russell, 1975).
Events leading to the strike
The police officers formed a nonunion club called the Boston Social Club in 1906 with the sanction of the Department. The Boston Police Department also felt hardships in the form of poor infrastructure, lack of compensation for extra duties, demeaning details for superior officers, irrelevant duties, long tours, and lack of proper wages. The artisans, and mechanics drew better wages in comparison to the Police Department. The Police Commissioner was Stephen O'Meara at the time (Russell, 1975). He allowed members of the Social Club to make a representation denoting the grievances of the police officers. O’Meara was compassionate and assured the officers of his support to the cause when the opportunity came up. However, he passed away in December 1918 and left the Social Club to deal with former mayor of Boston Edwin Upton Curtis who was the new Commissioner (History.com, 2009).
Although Curtis allowed the Social Club to make a representation like his predecessor, he was unsympathetic towards the problems of the police officers. Instead of holding talks, direct with the police administration, he announced a wage revision. The Boston Police rejected the proposal and a subsequent proposal by the Governor of Massachusetts, Calvin Coolidge. A subsequent meeting with members of the Boston Social Club resulted in the creation of a committee to deal with the problem. However, this committee was nothing more than a show and did not get beyond one meeting. Finally, the Boston Police Department reached out to the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in desperation. The AFL was at the time, helping police departments across the United States to unionize (Russell, 1975).
On 11 August 1919, Boston Police Commissioner Edwin Upton Curtis delivered an order forbidding any union related activity within the ranks of the Police Department. In an act of defiance, the police took the charter with the AFL on 15 August 1919, just four days after Curtis’ order. In a reactionary measure, Curtis suspended all the officers holding union positions. The Boston City Mayor, Andrew Peters noticed the escalation and sought to intervene. He set up an independent body to study the situation and come up with amicable solutions for all (Russell, 1975). The mayor placed James J. Storrow to head the body. The investigation and analysis concluded with Storrow recommending that the Boston Police form a union without any association with the AFL and without the right to strike. He also recommended against action for the suspended officers and their restoration to active duty.
The Police Strike
Commissioner Curtis refused to accept Storrow’s recommendations and proceeded to extend the suspensions for the union officers. The newly formed police union responded with a call to strike demanding reasonable wages and adequate facilities. The City of Boston, the mayor, and all the leading newspapers appealed to the police union to call off the strike. The press also warned the police union that the strike will damage their position irrevocably. Ignoring all the pleas for consideration, the Boston Police Department went on strike commencing on 9 September 1919 (Russell, 1975).
Anticipating a complete disaster on the streets, Governor Coolidge mobilized the Metropolitan Park Police Department for personnel to reinforce the depleted Boston Police Department. There were a few incidents of looting and rioting in certain areas of the city. However, this violence and criminal behavior was not present in most parts of the city. Mayor Andrew Peters requested Governor Calvin Coolidge to provide assistance through the Massachusetts State Guards. Coolidge dispatched five thousand State Guards to Boston City. The violence and criminal activity continued during the nights since the State Guards did not have any experience or qualification to deal with urban crime. In addition, a war of words between the police commissioner and the police union deepened the crisis.
The Central Labor Union, on 11 September 1919, met to decide whether or not to provide support to the striking police officers by joining them in a general strike. In the meantime, public resentment towards the striking police and the affiliated AFL increased consistently (Russell, 1975). Although the Vice President of the AFL, Matthew Woll, voiced out support for the striking police officers, he assured the public that the AFL did not approve of strikes by government employees. Moreover, Samuel Gompers hastened to Boston city and held talks with the striking police officers. Despite the police union agreeing to let go of the AFL charter until further talks with the city management, Coolidge refused to entertain the notion that the Boston Police Commissioner was responsible for the strike (Wieneke, 2008).
Aftermath
In the end, the striking police officers lost their jobs and the city recruited new officers from the unemployed group of World War I veterans. Despite hostility from the uniform suppliers which resulted in new police officers conducting duty in plain clothes, the city fired over one thousand police officers. The new officers had pensions, revised pay, paid vacations, and several other amenities that the officers on strike did not have. In addition, the citizens of Boston City enabled the city to raise over five hundred thousand dollars to pay for the Massachusetts State Guards during the police recruitment drive. There was an outcry throughout the nation against the police strike and the AFL distanced itself from police unionization for three decades (Ziskend, 2015).
Administrative Failure
Police Commissioner
The lack of introspection by the police commissioner when the police officers engaged in defiant action is one of the key failures that led to the strike and the unfortunate events that followed. Commissioner Curtis was a former mayor and it is amusing that he did not choose to visit a few police houses before discounting the grievances of the police. Moreover, his failure to prevent the strike is a considerable administrative failure. Police officers follow responsible leadership during difficult situations. Although 28% of the Boston Police Department did not participate in the strike, the commissioner was unable to influence the majority. Stephen O’Meara probably knew that he could not deliver on the grievances as expected by the rank and file. However, he empathized with their situation and had he not died, the Boston Police Strike of 1919 might not be a reality.
Communication skills are the key to any leadership. The police commissioner is in charge of administration, training, and hiring of police officers. Curtis did not seek the respect of his men. He was only keen on implementing his authority on the police department. He had multiple opportunities to prevent the strike and he chose not to act. In reality, it was Curtis who undermined the safety of the citizens by exposing them to a police strike that was easily avertable. In addition, he lacked knowledge of the criminal demography in his own city. It is surprising that he was once a mayor of the same city. His reluctance to ask for assistance of the State Guards the moment the strike commenced relates to his lack of organizational skills (Swanson, Territo, and Taylor, 2012). Finally, when there was an opportunity to wrap it up in style, he chose to take the sides with Boston mayor Andrew Peters and fire one thousand police officers. In all, Edwin Upton Curtis remained a politician until the end and never a police commissioner.
Boston City Police Department
The police officers knew that the strike will not have any support with the public from the start. They recently returned from serving in the US Army in World War I and should know that strikes have no place in a police force. The duty of the police is to serve and protect the citizens placed in its care. Hence, there is no justification in abandoning the duty to which they swore an oath. The economy of the United States was struggling and the inflation was very high. There could have been some reasonable timeframe for the Police Commissioner and the City Management to improve the circumstances. In addition, the Police Commissioner, Mayor, and Governor did offer pay revisions. The police officers did not view themselves as guardians of the society when they decided to strike despite efforts from the other side to resolve the issue.
The over reliance on the AFL proved to be a dangerous combination for the Boston Police Department at the time. While labor unions help employees to avail basic necessities, going out on a full-scale strike knowing the extent of damage it can cause is unacceptable. Moreover, the striking police officers did not behave civil and did not look to the public for support. When the public turns against a police force, it becomes impossible to be on the job thereafter. The striking police officers did not make any effort to apologize to the public or to the families of the nine people who lost their lives when members of the inexperienced Massachusetts State Guard shot them.
The leadership within the police union did not have any control of the strike. They were unable to respond to reason when looting began on the streets they protected. A responsible leadership would choose when to strike and where not to leave unprotected. Furthermore, there was no reaching out by the police. They also declined any offers made at the last minute by the City, State, and their own administration. Effective administration does not involve a firm decision, it involves making allowances within the framework of a decision when the situation warrants it.
A police strike in present times
The practices of police departments have evolved in a progressive manner since the 1919 strike in Boston. The police have recognized unions. They conduct a variety of activities that involve crime prevention, maintaining the peace, serving the public, solving crimes, and community policing. Their functions in any major city in the United States are responsible to maintain the balance and conduct life in normalcy. If there is a strike today by any police department, there will be a multitude of casualties ranging from automobile accidents to terrorist bombings (Swanson, Territo, and Taylor, 2012).
The freeways and highways will have numerous problems arising from drunk drivers, vehicle pileups, lack of traffic coordination for emergency services, total outbreak of criminal activity, wide scale looting, arson, street wars, drive by shootings, terrorist bombings, and home invasions. The loss for only one night before the National Guard takes charge of the situation will run into millions and there is a possibility of loss of life due to various factors. The criminal elements will use the opportunity to indulge in wide scale looting and home invasions. These crimes stay in check through initiatives such as prompt dispatches of police through 911 calls. Without the police out in force, chaos will reign.
Citizens will not be in a position to conduct normal lives and will constantly be on guard bearing whatever weapons they can find. The auxiliary police are not likely to help out since police affiliations seldom betray the trust. The inexperienced National Guard will probably do more damage than good even if deployment coincides with the commencement of the strike. The lack of community police officers will subject residents who support the initiative in danger. Police informants and neighborhood watch groups will face imminent danger if the police are not operational (Swanson, Territo, and Taylor, 2012). The times are different and the concentration of criminal activities has increased. In addition, the crimes themselves multiplied and a new breed of criminal elements fester in the cities at the present time. The only barriers between life and death in cities today are the men and women in blue, police officers.
References
History.com Staff (2009). The Boston police department goes on strike. Retrieved from: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-boston-police-department-goes-on-strike
Russell, F (1975). A City in Terror: Calvin Coolidge and the 1919 Boston Police Strike. Beacon Press. Boston: MA. Pp. 7-200.
Swanson, C. R., Territo, L., and Taylor, R. W. (2012). Police Administration - Structures, Processes, and Behaviors. Pearson Education. Upper Saddle River: NJ. Pp. 48-80, 132-153 and 253-296.
Wieneke, D. (2008). The Boston Police Strike. Retrieved from: http://www.iboston.org/mcp.php?pid=policeStrike
Ziskend, H. (2015). What Calvin Coolidge’s Response to the Boston Police Strike of 1919 Tells Us About Scott Walker’s Path to the White House in 2016. Retrieved from: www.huffingtonpost.com//what-calvin-coolidges-res_b_7552122.html
