I.U.P.A.'s history began in 1954 when the union was known as the National Conference of Police Associations (N.C.P.A.). The N.C.P.A. was developed in response to the demands of the law enforcement profession that was changing so quickly, especially in the areas of collective bargaining and benefits. It was apparent that police officers were in need of the support and services that only the AFL-CIO could provide through the auspices of other police officers. In 1966, the N.C.P.A. amended its by-laws to allow a number of local Canadian police associations to affiliate and N.C.P.A. became known as the International Conference of Police Associations. The I.C.P.A. declined to ally itself with the AFL-CIO, so the member organizations that wanted AFL-CIO affiliation created the International Union of Police Associations (I.U.P.A.).

On February 20, 1979, the International Union of Police Associations was granted an AFL-CIO charter by President George Meany as the first law enforcement union that allowed the law enforcement community to have their own independent voice within organized labor. This partnership was created to enhance the working and personal lives of law enforcement professionals across the country. That need has not changed.

Since 1990, I.U.P.A.'s membership growth has been threefold. Included in this expansion has been the affiliation of 8,000 law enforcement officers in Puerto Rico as well as officers from the corrections area of law enforcement. More recently, our membership growth has been due to organizing campaigns that have been specifically designed for law enforcement personnel. We now represent officers from Los Angeles to Boston, Minnesota to Florida, and across the Mid-West.

Also contributing to our membership growth has been the realization that ever-changing laws and demands on the law enforcement community have created a significant need for officers to be covered legally while on the job. In response to this need, I.U.P.A. created a full service legal program that was tailored to offer representation in matters related to grievance and disciplinary hearings, collective bargaining, job security and contract administration and any other legal ramifications related to the course and scope of duty.

Since I.U.P.A.'s beginning, the organization has become one of the most influential voices for law enforcement in the political arena. We have always aided in drafting legislation impacting the lives of not only our membership, but the law enforcement and labor community as a whole. Our legislative initiatives include the National Police Officers Bill of Rights, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) for public employees, educational survivor benefits and armor vest grants.

The I.U.P.A. played the pivotal role in the passage of amendments that made the FLSA one of the most important labor laws ever passed, applicable to law enforcement. In 1986, Congress passed a series of amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act, which forever changed American policing. No longer could law enforcement officers be required to work more than eight hours a day or 40 hours a week without compensation; and no longer did local unions and associations have to collectively bargain to ensure that overtime was paid at time and a half. The passage of the FLSA amendments demonstrated, clearly and unequivocally, the great value of an independent law enforcement and AFL-CIO-affiliated union. We also fought alongside the AFL-CIO in opposition to the rule changes to this act promulgated by the Department of Labor. This collaborative effort resulted in the passage of the Harkin Amendment through both houses of Congress on several occasions.