Mayor Nutter's administration and the city's largest union
presented arguments in Common Pleas Court today over whether the city has the
right to impose contract terms to end five years of fruitless negotiations
between the two sides.
AFSCME District Council 33, which represents 8,000
blue-collar city employees who will be impacted by the decision, has been
working without a contract since July 2009. Nutter has been seeking changes to
pension benefits and overtime rules and the right to furlough workers, and the
union has steadfastly rejected those proposals.
In January 2013, the mayor presented D.C. 33 with a
"final offer." After the union turned it down, the city asked the
Supreme Court to grant it permission to implement the terms of the offer,
arguing that negotiations had reached an impasse. (The union says there is no
impasse and continues to make minor counteroffers.)
The high court declined to rule, sending Nutter's suit to
Common Pleas Court, where Judge Idee Fox heard arguments today in her City Hall
courtroom.
The two sides agreed to expedite the trial and skipped oral
testimony. They will turn in final written arguments in 30 days, after which
Fox will rule.
Any decision is likely to be appealed by the losing party.
Source: Philly.com
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