‘Blue Flu’ Strikes Compton After Contract Talks Stall
About 10% of Compton police officers called in sick for Monday’s day shift after contract talks aimed at resolving salary and schedule issues failed.
Scrambling to maintain their presence on Compton streets, the 138-officer department reassigned officers from other units to patrol duty. City Manager Howard Caldwell said the department might have to pay overtime to certain officers to cover day and night shifts, but that the cost would be “nominal.”
“Most of our officers are dedicated police officers and therefore the few officers that may take part in this illegal job action will not impair the safety of the community,” said Chief Hourie L. Taylor.
The job action was the result of the collapse of negotiations over a broad range of salary, benefits, schedule and equipment issues. Compton’s police union, the Compton Police Officers Assn., says it did not authorize the “blue flu” and doesn’t know how long it will last.
“People are just fed up,” said Officer Robert Williams, who said he couldn’t show up for his shift because of a head cold and a stomach virus.
Williams disputed the department’s numbers, saying as many as half of the city’s officers had joined in the sickout.
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