by Ron DeLord | Jan 10, 2017 | Collective Bargaining, Labor, Police, Politics, Unions
U.S. District Judge James Robart declined Wednesday to intervene in a labor dispute between the city of Seattle and the police union representing captains and lieutenants, saying the issue didn’t pose a direct challenge to police-accountabilty reforms. Robart, after...
by Ron DeLord | Jan 10, 2017 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Labor, Pensions, Police, Politics, Unions
ATLANTIC CITY — State officials overseeing the city’s government have called on the police and fire departments to make major concessions in salary and potentially cut ranks, including up to 100 jobs in the city’s Fire Department. The demands came last month, but the...
by Ron DeLord | Jan 10, 2017 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Labor, Police, Politics, Public Employees (Non-Sworn), Unions
James Mussenden doesn’t bring up his pension in casual conversation. No point getting his golf partners’ blood boiling. The retired city manager of El Monte collects more than $216,000 a year, plus cost-of-living increases and fully paid health insurance. “It’s giving...
by Ron DeLord | Jan 10, 2017 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Labor, Pensions, Police, Politics, Public Employees (Non-Sworn), Unions
Cities and states across the country are facing public employee pension debt that is challenging and, in some cases, crippling their budgets. But some municipalities are experimenting with ways to solve that problem. In San Jose, California, voters passed a set of...
by Ron DeLord | Jan 10, 2017 | Fire, Labor, Pensions, Police, Politics, Unions
STARKVILLE — As we saw earlier this month, it’s rather difficult in December to escape the life lessons from Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” — nor should we. The Dickens novella confronts greed, foregone generosity, poverty, plenty, class warfare, regret, guilt...
by Ron DeLord | Jan 10, 2017 | Collective Bargaining, Fire, Health Insurance, Labor, Pensions, Police, Politics, Unions
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland says he is confident more police officers will want to come to this city. He points to what he says are big improvements in salary and retirement health benefits. Ask the heads of the Memphis Fire and Police Associations whether...