Blue flu explained

A blue flu is a type of strike action undertaken by police officers in which a large number simultaneously use sick leave.^[1] A blue flu is a preferred strike action by police in some parts of the United States where police strikes are prohibited by law.^{[1] [2] [3] [4]} At times, the matter goes to court,^[5] such as when officers need to undergo medical examination to prove genuine illness.^[6] A 2019 opinion piece in The New York Times contrasted blue flu with a strike, calling it "a quiet form of protest, with no stated principles or claim for public attention or sympathy."^[7] Unlike most strikes, blue flu tends to be focused and of short duration.^{[6] [8] [9]}

History

The term itself^[10] and similar terms^[11] have been used where unions could be heavily penalized. Alternatives to these terms include "slowdown" and "virtual work stoppage."

In the United States blue flu work stoppages have been used many times:

• In 1919, one of the first strikes by police officers in the US (which was legal at the time) was stopped by then-Governor Calvin Coolidge using the state's militia.^[12]
• In 1981, President Ronald Reagan fired 11,345 air traffic controllers in response to a strike.
• During the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, the blue flu was a ubiquitous and highly effective tactic in Baltimore, Memphis, San Francisco, Cleveland, New Orleans, Chicago, Newark, New York and many other cities.^[13]
• In 1971, between January 14 and January 19, around 20,000 New York City police officers refused to report for regular duty partly in response to dismissal of a lawsuit that would have increased pay for both police and firefighters, and entitle them to back pay up to the point of their last negotiated contract.
• In 1981, from December 23 to December 24, officers of the 1700-person Milwaukee Police Department conducted a work stoppage, citing disregard they claimed city officials showed for the police.
• In 2020, from June 17 to 20, an undisclosed number of officers of the Atlanta Police Department staged a sick-out to protest the criminal charges brought against the officers involved in the killing of Rayshard Brooks.^{[14] [15]}
• In the Republic of Ireland on 1 May 1998, 5,000 Gardaí (police) reported sick; public order was maintained by putting the Irish Army on standby and removing Gardaí from training and administrative work.^[16] It is illegal in Ireland for police to strike or form unions.^{[17] [18]}

Reasons

Some of the common reasons for these actions are:

• discipline actions that they feel are unjust,^[19] such as in 2011, when NYC reduced numerous police officers' vacation days by ten when tickets they had issued were tossed as being incomplete. The police blamed the situation on having to fill out a form while amidst confronting the person being ticketed. Technology solved much of this by having scanners reduce the amount of information that had to be recorded manually.
• deadlocked contract talks,^{[20] [5]} or frustration due to extended periods of working without a contract.^[21] These are sometimes made worse when mixed with ongoing budget cutbacks.^[22]
• work conditions perceived as unsafe.^[23]

Sometimes the proclaimed reason masks something else, such as when enforcing an unpopular decision is claimed to be a contract violation.^[24]

In the view of police abolitionist Josie Duffy Rice blue flu is the result of: calls for police accountability or a perceived public critique of policing or police culture of any kind, of in an attempt to blackmail the public into abandoning attempts at police reform and/or removing public officials who advocate accountability.^[25]

In popular culture

In Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu, a novel based on the TV series Monk, the main character is given a chance to return to his city's police force during a labor dispute. It's distasteful to him that "he'll be a 'scab'."^[26] A blue flu strike was also a background premise to "The Party's Over", a season 5 episode of CSI NY, aired in 2009; as well as an eponymous episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine in 2021.

The idea of the Blue Flu was referenced in the Babylon 5 episode By Any Means Necessary in 1995, with respect to a labour strike.

"Barney Miller", a sitcom about NYPD detectives in a Greenwich Village precinct, ran a two-part Blue Flu episode called "Strike" in March 1977.

See also

• Dereliction of duty
• Desertion
• Thin blue line
• Work-to-rule

Notes and References

1. Book: Spears, Richard . McGraw-Hill's Essential American Slang . 2008 . McGraw-Hill . 978-0071589345 . 235.
2. Book: Cox, Steven . Introduction to Policing . 2013 . SAGE Publications . 978-1483321899 .
3. Web site: blue flu . Legal Information Institute . Cornell University. December 30, 2017.
4. News: Rampell . Catherine . NYPD should go ahead and strike . December 30, 2017 . . January 8, 2015.
5. News: The New York Times. Injunction ends a police strike. January 28, 1971.
6. News: The New York Times . Michigan: Preventing 'Blue Flu' . Jeremy W. Peters . June 26, 2002 . planning to take part in a 'sick-out' on Wednesday.
7. News: The New York Times. Opinion: It's Time for T.S.A. Workers to Strike. Barbara Ehrenreich . Gary Stevenson. January 14, 2019.
8. News: The New York Times. Walking Tentatively in Protesters' Shoes. mysterious ailment that strikes police officers suddenly, overnight, during times of labor disagreements, causing them to miss a shift. . George Vecsey . May 7, 2010.
9. News: The New York Times . Around the nation: Safety Officers End Columbus Job Action . returning to their jobs after two days of the blue flu. . February 25, 1983 . UPI.
10. Client violence toward children and youth services social workers . caseworkers get 'blue fever' . November 18, 1992 . 10.1016/S0190-7409(97)00014-5 . Newhill . Christina E. . Wexler . Sandra . Children and Youth Services Review . 19 . 3 . 195–212 .
11. Web site: Joseph A. . McCartin. It's time for Federal Workers to get sick. police get 'blue flu,' fire fighters the 'red rash,' and teachers 'chalk-dust fever.'. January 14, 2009.
12. Web site: . A Short History of Police Protest: From Calvin Coolidge to Bill de Blasio . Clare Sestanovich . January 6, 2015.
13. News: Andrew . Grim . What is the 'blue flu' and how has it increased police power? . 12 July 2020 . The Washington Post . 1 July 2020.
14. Web site: Atlanta police call in sick to protest murder charge against officer who shot Rayshard Brooks . Katie . Shepherd . June 18, 2020 . The Washington Post .
15. Web site: Atlanta police shortages continue for second day . June 18, 2020 . September 4, 2020 . Steve . Almasy . Ryan . Young . Devon M. . Sayers . CNN.
16. Web site: Looking back: Here's how things looked the last time the gardaí went on strike. Cianan. Brennan. TheJournal.ie. October 2016 .
17. Web site: Review will recommend that gardaí can join trade unions. independent. December 12, 2016 .
18. Web site: Factcheck: Is it illegal for gardaí to go on strike?. Michelle. Hennessy. TheJournal.ie. August 7, 2016 .
19. News: The New York Times. Three Killed in New Haven During a Sickout by Police. angered by .. city's Police Chief ... disciplinary proceedings against two officers involved in the killing of a drug suspect .. had been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing ..the police officers' union voted .. to ask the chief to resign.. Kirk Johnson . September 23, 1991.
20. News: The New York Times . 'Blue Flu' Hits Policemen . AP. January 14, 1971.
21. News: . 'Blue Flu': Expensive Epidemic . working without a contract or pay raise since 1991 .. the last three years . June 1, 1994.
22. The closure of "nearly 100" Irish police stations due to budgeting reasons even as the murder of a Detective was still an open matter: News: 'It's not on' - Garda Commissioner critical of work-to-rule, 'blue flu' threats . the issue of station closures ... is an emotive issue . Hugh O'Connell . February 4, 2013.
23. Web site: Vox Media. New York City police officers are protesting by refusing to work. It's not the first time. 'From the police point of view, they are working a very, very dangerous job,' Thompson said. German Lopez . December 31, 2014.
24. News: The New York Times. Guardsmen in Boston for Busing Today. contention that the contract has been broken by a change of shifts and overtime orders ... Night shift officers have complained .. will lose their night differential if they work overtime during the day.. John Kifner . September 8, 1975.
25. News: Rice . Josie Duffy . August 25, 2020 . The Abolition Movement . . September 4, 2020 . Calls for accountability are often met with indignance and threats to desert those most affected by crime. The practice of officers, at the slightest sign of public critique, calling in sick en masse and refusing to do their jobs has long been called 'blue flu.'.
26. Web site: Mr. Monk and the Blue Flu . Lee Goldberg . Lee Goldberg .