Fighting for a Fair Contract
The PBA is fighting to restore New York City police officers to their rightful place among the highest paid police officers in the nation. Our ongoing media campaign to keep our contract issues in the public spotlight is a key part of our strategy. Below, see examples of our television, radio and print advertisements in support of our contract fight.
TV advertisements
The PBA launched a major television advertising campaign on May 15, 2016, criticizing Mayor de Blasio and his administration for refusing to support fair pay for New York City police officers. The campaign, which aired over four weeks on numerous broadcast and cable news channels in the NYC area, featured the families of PBA members and highlighted the financial impact of New York City police officers' below-market salary. The first installment in this campaign aired on ABC 7, CBS 2, PIX 11, NBC 4, Fox 5, WLNY 10/55, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and CNBC. The campaign was reported on NBC TV news and WOR radio.
On May 30, 2016, the PBA released a second TV advertisement featuring the families of PBA members as part of our ongoing campaign to highlight the financial impact of New York City police officers' below-market salaries. The campaign ran for the following two weeks, beginning during Yankees and Mets broadcasts on YES and SNY, and continued to air on ABC 7, CBS 2, PIX 11, NBC 4, Fox 5, WLNY 10/55, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and CNBC.
A new PBA TV ad, released on September 30, 2016, compared New York City police officers' "contract" with New Yorkers — to go into harm's way to protect the public, just as they did following the terrorist bombing attack in Chelsea — with Mayor de Blasio's refusal to negotiate a contract that includes fair, competitive wages. The ad aired on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, New York 1 News and News 12 in New York City. The Post, ABC 7 TV, WOR radio and 880 AM radio also covered the commercial.
Radio advertisements
April 7, 2016: A new PBA radio ad called on on Mayor de Blasio to back up his claim that he supports working men and women by giving New York City police officers fair pay and disability benefits. The ad aired on 1010 WINS AM, 107.5 WBLS FM, 106.7 Lite FM, 97.9 Mega FM, 101.1 WCBS FM and 77 WABC AM.
May 9, 2016: A new PBA advertisement airing on several local radio stations highlighted the fact that as the NYPD has become more diverse, New York City police officers' pay has fallen further behind that of their local and national counterparts. The ad aired for approximately one week on 1010 WINS AM, 107.5 WBLS FM, 106.7 Lite FM, 97.9 Mega FM, 101.1 WCBS FM, 77 WABC AM and AM970 the Answer.
Print advertisements
A new PBA ad in the NY Post on December 12, 2016, advanced our demand for a fair contract by highlighting the results of the recent PBA poll, which showed that, while 76% of New Yorkers had a favorable opinion of New York City police officers, many still had concerns about public safety under Mayor de Blasio.
This ad, that first ran on November 11, 2016, featured a photo of Mayor de Blasio's "labor activist" Halloween costume and noted that police officers deserve more than zeros for their "hard day's work." The ad appeared in the Chief-Leader and in local community papers around the city for a few weeks.
A PBA ad in the Daily News responded on August 24, 2016 to NYC Labor Commissioner Bob Linn's statement that "NYC pays police very well" by highlighting Linn's past description of NYC police pay as a "laughingstock," at a time when the pay gap was actually narrower than it is today.
A PBA ad in the Daily News on August 23, 2016 argued that Mayor de Blasio is hurting the middle class by handing City workers their worst contracts in decades.
Politico NY and WINS radio report on the PBA taking out a full-page ad in e Indianapolis Star newspaper before de Blasio visited that city in June, 2016. The ad criticized Mayor de Blasio during his appearance at the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The PBA also arranged for a billboard truck with the same image to circle the conference venue. The story was widely reported in New York City. See also the photos on Facebook and the PBA press release.
A new PBA ad appearing in major daily and local community papers beginning April 18, 2016 and running for two weeks highlighted the discrepancy between Mayor de Blasio's stated priorities — including addressing "income inequality" and increasing the diversity of the NYPD — and his refusal to meaningfully address the pay disparities that New York City police officers face. Postcard mailers with the same message were also sent to households across the five boroughs..
The advertisement of December 1, 2015 in the Chief-Leader highlighted arbitrator Howard Edelman's description of the police pay "paradox" and asked why he awarded New York City police officers below inflation raises that did nothing to fix it.
The ad in the Chief-Leader of November 23, 2015 pointed out that arbitrator Howard Edelman's insistence on "pattern" was at odds with the City's own admission, dating back to the Giuliani administration, that bargaining patterns do not trump the Taylor Law's arbitration award criteria.
November 17, 2015
The PBA's ad in the Chief-Leader of November 16, 2015 highlighted Labor Relations Commissioner (and City arbitration panel member) Bob Linn's statement that New York City police officers' salaries are a "laughingstock," and pointed out that both he and arbitrator Howard Edelman have acknowledged the pay disparities but still thought that cops deserved raises below the rate of inflation.
An ad in the New York Post on November 13, 2015 said that 1% raises for police officers were consistent with the anti-police agenda that Mayor de Blasio had promoted since before taking office.
November 12, 2015
November 12, 2015
November 12, 2015
Published in the Post on November 12, 2015, the ad highlighted Mayor de Blasio and Labor Relations Commissioner Bob Linn's claim that the City coulf "invest" in public safety without paying a fair wage to the police officers who actually patrol the streets.
The PBA's latest ad in the Post took on Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Bratton's claim that police officers wouldn't have a problem with 1% raises, now that they had their NYPD-issued smartphones.
The PBA ad in the Post, November 10, 2015, highlighted the fact that arbitrator Howard Edelman simply parroted the de Blasio administration's talking points in his outrageous draft award.
An ad in New York Post, November 9, 2015, noted that arbitrator Howard Edelman dismissed the growing risks and challenges faced by New York City police officers as "just part of the job."
An ad in the Chief-Leader of November 9, 2015 asked whether Edelman even bothered to read the Taylor Law's arbitration award criteria.
The New York Post published an ad on November 9, 2015, pointing out that arbitrator Howard Edelman's proposed below-inflation raises for police officers were actually a pay cut.
November 5, 2015
Another PBA ad in the New York Post on October 16, 2015, pointed out that New York City police officers are subject to the most intense scrutiny of any employees, in any profession, and yet they remain the lowest paid police officers in this area.
This ad in the New York Post on October 15, 2015 focused on the growing complexity of New York City police officers' duties and their increasing reporting requirements, none of which have been accompanied by a corresponding increase in pay.
This Post ad, published on October 14, 2015, noted that, while New York City police officers' responsibilities keep growing, they continue to be paid at a below-market rate.
This ad appeared in the New York Post on October 13, 2015. It highlighted the unparalleled level of oversight to which New York City police officers are subjected.
- Published in the New York Post on October 5, 2015, this ad highlighted New York City police officers' outstanding performance during the Papal visit and UN General Assembly, noting that these high-profile events came on top of an already heavy routine workload. See also our photo gallery of members at work during the Pope's visit and the United Nations General Assembly.
September 17, 2015.
This ad, published on June 15, 2015, called attention to the fact that the Citizens Budget Commission, a budget watchdog group, testified on behalf of the City in the PBA's PERB arbitration hearings. The ad noted that the business leaders who serve on the CBC's board have benefited from the public safety turnaround that New York City police officers have made possible.
On May 18, 2015, this ad appeared in papers around the city. It highlighted First Deputy Mayor Anthony Shorris's comment that the "sun is shining" on the City's budget and argued that now is the time to fix the police pay gap.
Beginning April 22, 2015, this ad appeared in papers around the city highlighting the City’s positive budget picture and argued that now is the time for the City to end decades of labor discord by paying police officers a competitive wage.
In a Chief article of November 4, 2014, about the police contract going to arbitration, the city’s chief negotiator Bob Linn was “tight lipped” about this PBA’s ad quoting him as saying “New York City police salaries are a laughingstock; throughout the nation everyone knows that city cops are underpaid.”
October 16, 2014
August 21, 2014