WARREN Attorney: City refuses to pay half of police officers' pension

The union has filed an unfair labor practice charge against the city.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A month after a conciliator ruled that the city is responsible for half of police officers' pension contribution, the city still hasn't paid.
On Sept. 3, Jonathan Dworkin, a conciliator, ruled that when the city accepted the Ohio Patrolmen's Benevolent Association offer without comment, it understood or should have understood what the union meant.
City officials estimated that decision will cost about $100,000.
The union has filed an unfair labor practice charge with the State Employment Relations Board against the city for not complying with the arbiter's decision.
Despite Dworkin's "clear mandate to the city as to the city's obligation to the employees under the pension pickup language of the current collective bargaining agreement, the city still refuses to properly reimburse the employees" wrote Atty. Joseph M. Hegedus, who represents OPBA.
The attorney asks SERB to order the city to immediately comply with the conciliator's decision.
Intent of proposal
The police contract, approved after negotiations last year, included a provision that the city will pay 5 percent of the employees' contributions to the police and fire pension and disability fund, effective July 1, 2002. Effective July 1, 2003, the city's share increased to 6 percent of the employees' contribution. That language had been submitted to the conciliator by the union.
After it was approved, the union contended that wasn't the intent of its proposal. The union intended the city to pay half of the employee contribution.
The union contended, and the arbiter agreed, that the city knew what the union meant.
Mayor Hank Angelo said he doesn't think the citizens of the city should have to pay for the police union's lawyer's mistake.
"He wrote the language that we agreed to," Angelo said.
He also disagrees with Dworkin, calling the decision one of the worst he's ever seen. He hasn't decided whether to contest it.
"This arbiter could read their [union's] mind that [the language] was wrong and could read our mind that we knew it was wrong and were playing a game with them," Angelo said. "This guy should be at the racetrack every day or in the stock market on Wall Street. He'd be making a lot more money than he is" as an arbiter.
denise.dick@vindy.com