NEW CASTLE Union Twp. police contract suffers a blow in Round One of court fight

The disputed contract was passed late last year.
By MARY GRZEBIENIAK
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Union Township has won the first round in its fight to have a six-year extension of its police department contract declared illegal.
Judge John Hodge of Lawrence County Common Pleas Court denied preliminary objections filed by the Union Township Police Association and ordered the association to begin preparing for a hearing on the township's request for a declaratory judgment.
The association has 20 days to submit an answer to the township's original filing. Judge Hodge's ruling means the question of whether the police contract extension is legal will be heard in common pleas court rather than before the Pennsylvania State Labor Board as the association had preferred.
Township Solicitor Gabriel Cilli said the ruling is a "good first step" and added he is confident the township will prevail in its contention the contract extension is illegal.
Police Chief Joe Lombardo did not return a call to comment.
The next step in the dispute is a hearing on the township's request for declaratory judgment. Cilli said he expects that hearing to take place within the next few months.
The contract
The township wants the court to declare that an extension of the police contract, which was passed in November 2005, was illegal because it was not properly advertised, did not give proper time and notice provisions for contract re-opening, and was intended to prevent incoming Supervisor Clair Damon from having any say on police working conditions.
The contract extension imposes expensive penalties on the township for any lay off of full-timers and gives generous raises to police.
The extension was passed by outgoing Supervisor Steve Galizia and current supervisor Pat Angiolelli, with Supervisor Kevin Guinaugh dissenting. When Damon took office, he and Guinaugh immediately declared the extension void.