TU: Council on new FOP contract: No comment

[Patricia M. McBride]

This is the second of these articles and this one was in the TU the day the contract was agreed on.  I had been led to understand council approval was not needed if they agreed, and fortunately, the city council must approve if the vote goes to accept the agreed upon contract.

 

Submitted by Steve Patterson on January 12, 2012 - 5:30pm

Even though City Hall and police union negotiators agreed Wednesday on terms for a three-year labor contract, Jacksonville City Council members are staying mum about the deal.

"The attorneys have advised us very carefully on or comments," Councilman Clay Yarborough said when asked to share his thoughts on the deal. "I can't, or I shouldn't."

The council had been scheduled to settle the impasse in today, if the city and Fraternal Order of Police hadn't struck a tentative bargain that had eluded them for more than two years.

Besides being a political hot potato, settling the impasse is also a legal minefield with rules laying out what council members can and can't consider to reach an impartial solution.

And the impasse could still fall back council members' laps late this month if the union membership rejects the deal.

Talking publicly about personal opinions of the deal could bar a council member from voting if the impasse comes back to them, said Councilman John Crescimbeni.

If the union approves the deal, the council still has to vote it up or down, said Council President Stephen Joost, but that's simpler than trying to create a solution.

link:  http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/403455/steve-patterson/2012-01...