Medford - The Massachusetts Municipal Police Coalition (MMPC) is pleased to announce its formation as a dynamic network of eastern Massachusetts police unions.

The MMPC is formed and exists to facilitate the sharing of information, ideas, and resources among its member unions. The goal of the MMPC is to identify and work to achieve the important interests of municipal police officers and to provide aid and assistance to member unions in the pursuit of their common goals in collective bargaining and in other forums.

MMPC member unions represent over 800 municipal police officers in the following communities: Andover, Arlington, Belmont, Cambridge, Framingham, Lawrence, Lexington, Marlborough, Medford, Natick, Newton, Somerville and Wayland.

At its first meeting, the MMPC elected Medford Police Officer Harold MacGilvary as its president. A Board of Directors selected from member unions was also designated to serve as the governing body of the MMPC.

MacGilvray, president of the Medford Police Patrolman’s Association, represents police officers from the city of Medford on the MMPC Board of Directors.

As its first public act, the MMPC voted on Nov. 7 to censure the town of Lexington for its anti-labor behavior. The Lexington Police Association has been working for four years without a contract.

The MMPC believes that the negotiations have been stymied by the town of Lexington’s refusal to bargain in good faith with its police officers. Further, the MMPC vote of censure denounces the town of Lexington’s recent termination without just cause of the president of the Lexington Police Association.

The MMPC contends that this action was the latest in a series of efforts by the town of Lexington to obstruct the Lexington Police Association in the negotiation of a fair contract and in its other challenges to questionable actions of town and police department managers.

The MMPC stands with the Lexington Police Association to combat the town of Lexington’s anti-union tactics.

[Discuss this topic]