LOS ANGELES : ‘Blue Flu’ Foe Elected President of Police Union

The city’s police union has voted out its president, Dave Zeigler, and replaced him with an officer who opposed Zeigler’s recent “blue flu” tactic to apply pressure for a pay raise.

Danny Staggs, 45, won election to head the Police Protective League with 57% of the 2,952 votes mailed in during the past two weeks, the union said Wednesday. Zeigler received 43%.

The league represents about 7,500 officers in the Los Angeles Police Department.

Staggs said the result affirmed his position that it was premature to attempt the sickout last month because the union had not gotten its message across on contract issues.

A judge blocked the slowdown after two days.

Zeigler said at the time the campaign worked because it got the attention of city officials. Mayor Richard Riordan said afterward he would try to find money for a pay increase in the fiscal year beginning next July 1.

Zeigler called for a 9% pay increase similar to the one granted Department of Water and Power workers. Staggs said that he wants a “comparable” contract, but that the increase could come in the form of benefits, if not all in raises.

“The membership spoke,” Zeigler said Wednesday. “They are frustrated and angry with no contract and they took the blame out on the one closest to them, which is me.”