By Matt Galnor
Florida Times-Union
The Fraternal Order of Police wants a judge to decide if Jacksonville is illegally charging for and holding back public records pertinent to contract negotiations.
The public records issue was a focal point of collective bargaining sessions, beginning when FOP President Nelson Cuba filed an 85-point records request in the first session.
The two sides have bounced the issue back and forth, with Cuba insisting he needs e-mails from Mayor John Peyton’s top staffers and City Council members regarding the proposed 3 percent pay cut.
The union filed the suit this week, and Cuba said he hopes the issue is heard by a judge next week.
The city has said it would need to have attorneys review and redact anything that is part of negotiating strategy.
It is asking the police union and all other unions to take a pay cut, agree to pension reform for new employees and assume a larger portion of health insurance costs.
Jacksonville has declared impasse with three of its six unions, including the FOP.
“They want us to give on certain economic issues, but we don’t enough know what that’s going to save or what they’re going to spend the money on,” Cuba said.
Cuba said he needs information he’s asked for from the city - including historic budget and financial data - to determine if the city budget dictates his members taking cuts.
“We ought to be talking about the substance of things and not going off on wild goose chases,” said Leonard Carson, the city negotiator on the police and fire contracts.
Peyton has said employee costs are the primary driver of a $58 million shortfall his staff is projecting for the budget that will start Oct. 1.
Copyright 2010 The Florida Times-Union