Were not plumbers
So plumbers have a union and strike often in the future?
They should have said were not public bus drivers or district attorneys or nurses.
the reason he says "We're not plumbers! We're police officers!" is because Police officers technically have an obligation to uphold to the public. like Robocop's Prime Directives say:
"Serve The Public Trust"
"Protect The Innocent"
"Uphold The Law"
These are the 3 major things a cop is supposed to do. a Plumber, Mechanic, Carpenter any these kinda people with these kinda jobs can go on strike for any reason. They may not like the results that come after, But a Cop has an Obligation which means he has a moral duty to do the above things to help others.
That's why he says "Cops don't strike!: