Orlando Police Union Blasts Chamber, Banks Over 'Paycheck Protection'

A Fraternal Order of Police lodge in Orlando is taking no prisoners in the legislative battle over union dues.

Contesting Republican efforts to pass a "paycheck protection" bill that bars government agencies from withholding union dues, FOP Lodge 25 blasted the Florida Chamber of Commerce for promoting the idea.

"The clear purpose of the proposed legislation backed by the Florida Chamber of Commerce is to increase the operating costs to administer and manage union membership," the FOP stated in a news release Thursday.

"Such payroll deductions have taken place for decades and such deductions are available for other charitable contributions as well, such as the United Way."

Angered over the Chamber's role, the FOP joined other public-employee unions, including Orlando Professional Firefighters Local 1365, in targeting five banks that have executives sitting on the Chamber board of directors. They cited Wells Fargo (successor to Wachovia), Regions Bank, Bank of America, SunTrust and PNC Bank.

"The Fraternal Order of Police and their respective members have decided to withdraw their banking business from those banks which have strong affiliations with the Florida Chamber of Commerce," the FOP stated.

"These banks and any other bank found to support the Florida Chamber of Commerce on 'paycheck protection' will now lose the benefit of the deposit base and future loans from the Fraternal Order of Police and its members."

The FOP's Orlando lodge, which says it has roughly 700 members, added an ironic note to the debate.

"Surprisingly, while many Florida Chamber of Commerce supporters point to the downsizing of government as the means to help our economy recover, these very same banks were the recipients of over $700 billion in federal government bailouts and now they endorse government intervention once again to regulate the private affairs of public employees and their respective unions."

See Chamber's comments here.