EDITORIAL: Coming to terms of FOP contract

The University and the FOP both need to compromise and reach a contract agreement before the situation worsens. We urge both sides to reach a compromise before it becomes an even bigger problem. The University and the FOP should each give in on some of their demands in order to solve the problem. The current contract situation is hurting morale among officers and is creating an unpleasant working environment. And with the University's decision to hire 24 new officers, it is imperative that both parties reach an agreement soon. The University should take a closer look at the rotating shift schedules. This contract stipulation requires regular changes in officers' work schedules. It doesn't seem necessary to regularly move officers from shift to shift. Administrators should also consider making the contract retroactive to August, when the last contract expired. It is a standard labor practice to apply a new contract to the time spent bargaining. These negotiations have dragged on for months, and since FOP bylaws prevent officers from striking and Pennsylvania law does not allow them to take the negotiations to binding arbitration, it is only fair the University adds this stipulation. While administrators could bend on the above conditions, the FOP can also concede on a few issues. Since officers are considered University employees, they receive medical and tuition benefits many Philadelphia officers do not. If the FOP could scale back on its demands for a pension increase and the small salary increase, a final agreement may be reached sooner. As both sides sit at the bargaining table in the coming weeks, we urge them to make concessions to end this dispute. It is important to the University community that our police officers get a new contract in the near future, but that can only be accomplished through compromise.