Police Demilitarization Pits Police Union Against Top Labor Federation

BuzzFeed - “Like any family, there are going to be some disagreements here and there. But that doesn’t break up the family.” Getty Images Scott Olson WASHINGTON — More than a month after Ferguson and the debate it sparked over the militarization of local police forces, an internal rift has grown between the nation's top labor federation and one of its own unions. The International Union of Police Associations, a member of the AFL-CIO, has been largely quiet on the issue of police militarization. But in a couple of open letters the union has shown support for the program that provides police with military-grade weaponry. The AFL-CIO meanwhile has been a vocal supporter of police demilitarization and better oversight. The federation's president, Richard Trumka, even signed a letter to Congress calling for a "federal czar" to oversee police forces. But despite their differences, IUPA has been reluctant to call out its federation, or even admit how different their vie