Emmaus to appeal court decision upholding firefighters' right to unionize

EMMAUS, Pa. - Emmaus Borough Council Monday night voted to appeal last week’s Commonwealth Court ruling upholding an order by the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board that authorized the borough’s firefighters to unionize and negotiate contracts.

By unanimous vote, council will appeal the lower court’s ruling to the state Supreme Court, the latest chapter in a legal contest that began in 2013. Council voted after emerging from a brief executive session at the end of the regular meeting.

Asked what motivated council to appeal the ruling, council President Brent Labenberg declined to comment, saying the “case speaks for itself.”

A group of Emmaus firefighters attending the meeting did not say anything after council’s vote, but the Emmaus Professional Firefighters Association released the following statement to the media by email later Monday night.

“The Emmaus Professional Firefighters Association is disappointed with the decision of Emmaus Borough Council to take this a step further to Supreme Court. They have exercised their right with legally being able to appeal, but we strongly believe they are being misguided by their legal team. At this point it appears our council is focusing on the fiscal aspects, which we have yet to formally discuss, more so than that of the public safety to the residents of the Borough of Emmaus. The firefighters will continue to do everything we can within our power to proudly serve and protect our citizens while the Supreme Court examines this case further.”

Emmaus firefighters began getting part-time pay back in 1994 and decided to pursue forming a union in 2013. That action was followed by the state Professional Fire Fighters Association’s request that the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board recognize them as a union. The board in 2014 deemed the borough’s firefighters employees of the borough and eligible to unionize.

Backed by the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs and the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, the borough appealed to Commonwealth Court, setting off a legal fight that culminated with last night’s vote by Borough Council.

Source: WFMZ