Mayor Facing Contempt Charges in Faceoff With Firefighters
The mayor of Taylor, Michigan is headed to court, and not by his own choosing. Mayor Jeffery Lamarand is facing charges of contempt of court for refusing to comply with a 2012 arbitration ruling over the layoff of 32 firefighters.
The arbitrator concluded the city violated the collective bargaining agreement with Taylor Professional Fire Firefighters’ Local 1252 by laying off 32 of the department’s 53 firefighters. He awarded the firefighters over $730,000 in damages.
When the city failed to make the required payment, the firefighters filed suit to enforce the arbitrator’s ruling. On October 15, 2013, Wayne County Circuit Court ordered the city to pay the $730,000.
According to the News-Herald, the city claims it plans to pay the $730,000, but over a five-year period. Documents filed by the union with the court state: “Neither the arbitration awards nor the court’s order provided for a five-year timetable for the city to pay amounts owed under the arbitration awards. Neither the arbitration awards nor the court’s order made any provision for delayed compliance on a timetable unilaterally determined by the city administration.”
The mayor is scheduled to appear in Wayne County Circuit Court on November 15, 2013 at 9:00 a.m.
48 hours to to satisfy the award; 60 days in jail is a reasoned order and should be so ordered and decreed.
Lamarand just lost his re-election bid too. Wonder why. Good riddance.
Why do some people think it's OK to simply violate contracts? I suspect these very same people wouldn't be too happy if their mortgage company decided to raise their interest rate by 20 or 30% because they wanted to…
Steve
That is easy… because for politicians (and the tea-baggers) it is a win win – and the average person doesn't even realize what is going on… First – regardless of whether the politicians win or lose, they portray themselves to the public as taking a hard line against the evil unions/public employees who are the cause of high taxes and the economic problems in this country. People believe it – because they want to believe their taxes could be lower if only "someone" would do "something". If the politicians win their breach of contract antics they consider themselves heros – and if they lose – then they blame the same unions/public employees for being greedy and not caring about the taxpayers.
Second, these politicians are playing with someone else's money (the taxpayers money to be exact) so when they do lose they have absolutely nothing to lose… whether its is Mayor of Taylor, Michigan breaching a contract – or the town council in North Kingstown RI – or the Borough Council in Chambersburg PA screwing with their firefighters. They have no skin in the game – just their egos. Its not like it is their own business they are running into the ground. But at the end of the day it is the taxpayers who will have to pay… and the firefighters who will get blamed.
For the politicians there is no downside to screwing with public employees. Its is strictly a win-win!!!
Sigh. Yeah, I know… having been a humble public servant Fireman for 30 years I only know too well…
Curt,
What are the chances the mayor will see the inside of a jail because of this?
Kevin
I would doubt it – but its within the realm of possibilities.
You don't think the union is playing with other people's money, Curt? Where did the money come from for the 100% healthcare plans, the 6% COLAs, 9/11 as a paid holiday….? The city didn't take it off the tree in front of city hall.
BH
No I do not think the union is playing with other peoples money – any more than your income is other people's money. A contract is a contract. At least among honorable people it is. A days pay for a days work. Your income is yours and the firefighters' income is theirs.
The difference is the firefighters take their money (their own earned income) – and lobby with it to get laws passed… like collective bargaining laws. That is the American way.
These tea baggers run on a platform to reduce people's taxes – then once they get in they use taxpayer funds to try to undo settled laws they don't like. They are not spending their own income opposing/lobbying against the law. They simply ignore or violate the laws they don't like and force the unions to take them to court.
I have no problem if people want to lobby against collective bargaining – go put toegther a PAC and knock yourself out. That is the American way. That is NOT what the teabaggers are doing. They are using taxpayer funds (not their own funds that they may earn as elected officials) to fight an ideological fight.
You are also stating 1/2 the story with the figures you are throwing out there. FFs agreed to less benefits and lower raises than they could have recieved over the years to keep 100% healthcare… they agreed to pay more for their pensions to get colas. Those were agreed upon benfits… just like if you went into a bank and agreed to take out a loan for 3% interest. It would be unfair (not to mention illegal) for the bank to later claim "Well we can't stay in business if we loan people money at 3% so we are increasing your loan to 6%". Yet somehow taking firefighter's benefits away without negotiating it is politically OK.