Public News

Message from the DYRS Labor Committee

Message from Andre Phillips, Chair of the DYRS Labor Committee:

I’m writing on behalf of the FOP Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services (DYRS) Labor Committee with some very sad news, and a plea for solidarity from the Lodge. As you may know, the FOP DYRS Labor Committee (“Union”) represents about 260 Youth Development Representatives (YDRs) at the DYRS facilities. These folks are youth correctional officers. They are essential employees who have continued to report for duty during this crisis. They don’t receive any extra pay for reporting under these circumstances. (Unlike many private sector employers who still ask their employees to report during the crisis, the District does not offer any additional compensation.) 

The Union has been advocating and begging for better protections for these folks since the beginning of this emergency. Basic protections such as masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, or places to wash hands without requesting relief from duty have been denied to the YDRs. This is true even as there are two confirmed COVID-19 cases among the confined youth and at least 15 more kids on quarantine within the facilities.
 
The first youth who tested positive is presumed to have contracted the virus from a U.S. Marshal who had previously tested positive. This Marshal is also presumed to have transmitted the virus to people connected to the Department of Corrections. After discovering the Marshal’s positive diagnosis, a number of YDRs who had come into contact with that individual were placed in quarantine because of the exposure. It is with heavy hearts that we learned this evening that a member of our bargaining unit who was ordered into quarantine after being in contact with the Marshal contracted the virus and passed away from related complications. He was in his mid-forties and otherwise healthy.
 
It is sadly the case that this death could have been prevented. We have been attending meetings as well as begging everyone at various levels of the executive branch to please protect our members. We have filed grievances and done our best to quell the fears of our members. But now one of our own has died because of contracting the virus at work. We can no longer push paper and attend meetings while our folks are dying from lack of protection. We need to have PPEs for all members of the bargaining unit (gloves, masks, respirators). We need adequate sanitizing stations and products. We need temperature screening for everyone who enters the facilities. We need access to the same testing offered to first responders. We also need and deserve the same admin closure pay we would get when we report for duty during a snow closing. We need and deserve hazardous duty/environmental differential for exposing ourselves to this risk on a daily basis.
 
We are asking for the Lodge to support us in elevating these concerns to the public consciousness and to leaders who will get us the protections we need—now—before anyone else dies from a virus they contracted in the line of duty without basic protections.

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Chair
D.C. Dept. of Youth Rehabilitation Services Labor Committee

The New Veterans Committee

On December 12, 2018, the general membership voted to establish a Veterans Committee. At the March 11, 2020, general meeting, the membership concurred with President G.G. Neil's appointments to the newly-established committee. The Lodge's Veterans Committee will provide a strong voice and representation—within the Lodge's structure—to promote the welfare of Members, Auxiliary, and Associates who are veterans.

  • This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Chair)
  • Lou Cannon
  • Richard Miller
  • Alfonso Ortiz
  • Thomas "Sid" Syndor

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Auxiliary News

AUXILIARY NEWS - MARCH 9, 2020

The Auxiliary, along with DC FOP Lodge #1, is holding a St. Patrick's Day 50th Year Parade luncheon and fundraiser on March 15th, between 11am and 5pm. If you would like to volunteer to help that day, please let me know. It would also be great if you can come out and just celebrate with us. 
Another upcoming Auxiliary fundraiser, which is being handled by one of our members, Marianne Griffin of Griffin World Wide Travel, is a 7 day Royal Caribbean cruise in February 2021, going out of Miami on Symphony of the Seas.  For each cabin reserved by law enforcement our Auxiliary will receive $50.  We also have a raffle going on now for an inside cabin for two.  Each ticket is $10 and the drawing will be held at our November 2020 crab feast. We also will be selling raffle tickets at the St. Patrick's luncheon. If anyone is interested in this cruise fundraiser, please contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Our vice president and chairman of our DC FOP memorial committee, Patty Sucato, is working together with DC MPD and C.O.P.S. in preparation of the upcoming local Law Enforcement Memorial to be held on May 4, 2020, at 11:30 am in front of MPD headquarters. Being honored this year is Montgomery County Police Officer Kyle David Olinger, who succumbed in April 2019 from complications of a gunshot wound sustained on August 13, 2003. Lunch and desserts will be provided afterward by Mission Barbecue and our Auxiliary.  We are looking for volunteers for this event as well.  

When I was at the National Conference in New Orleans this past August, I was appointed Chairman of the Legislative Committee for the National FOP Auxiliary. I will now be including information here for our Auxiliary members regarding legislative matters which should be of interest to all of you. It will describe legislation in progress—please get this information out to everyone you know so they can contact their representatives to help in pushing the legislation through.  

We are in the early stages of having little emergency to-go bags, made with our logo and our FOP's logo, to distribute to area members that are in need during a crisis. One of our members, Marianne Griffin, also is going to have some emergency bags made up with her company's name "Griffin Worldwide Travel" to distribute with ours as a way of giving back to our law enforcement community. There will be several police academy graduations coming up soon and we will continue to provide cakes and information about our Auxiliary to the new recruits.

We have a meeting on March 11th at 5 pm at FOP DC Lodge #1 if anyone is interested in attending. We have quarterly meetings for the general membership. Since the full board will not be present it only will be an informational meeting to discuss upcoming events and your ability to volunteer.

Just a reminder that I have received almost all of your 2020 Auxiliary renewal membership dues. If you have not submitted payment, please do so as soon as possible as we will be updating our membership database in the next couple of weeks.

Bonnie Cannon
President/National Trustee
DC FOP Lodge #1
Auxiliary Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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