GOP councilor would rather abolish police force than see it unionize

A conservative politician in Georgia is telling his hometown police force to stop looking for the union label, or find new jobs.

Erick Erickson, the managing editor of RedState.com and a city councilor in Macon, Georgia, has called for the abolition of Macon's police force if it votes to unionize.

The Macon Telegraphreported on Monday that some 130 police officers on the city's municipal force want to unionize because of "officers bearing the burden of rising insurance costs, a loss of incentive pay and the city not having a pay scale."

"I’m thinking I’ll have the City Attorney draft me legislation to dissolve the police department and contract with the Sheriff to provide public safety services," Erickson wrote on the blog Peach Pundit.

"You didn’t read that incorrectly," blogs Zaid Jilani. "Councilman Erickson’s response to the possibility of Macon’s cops forming a labor union is to abolish the police department."

The Telegraphreported on Tuesday:

Police Sgt. Steve Draper said word spread after a group of 18 officers had meetings with the Teamsters’ Law Enforcement League over the past several months.

The Law Enforcement League represents 35,000 police officers in 26 states, said Jim Romar, a national field representative for the organization.

If officers vote to unionize, the department could be the first police department in the state partnering with a professional labor organization, Romar said.

The paper also noted that Georgia is a “right to work” state, meaning that although unions aren't illegal in the state, no one can be compelled to join one.