From Brian Lockhart, CT Post:
The city’s supervisors have gone to court to block an attempt by Mayor Joseph Ganim to cancel their new contract and negotiated pay raises.
The Bridgeport Supervisors Association–a 168-person union–on Monday sought an injunction to keep Ganim from messing with a collective bargaining agreement approved late last year under then-Mayor Bill Finch.
Ganim inherited the pact when he was sworn in Dec. 1. He convinced the City Council, which had twice tabled the matter during Finch’s final days in office, to reject the contract at a Dec. 30 meeting.
The supervisors’ attorney, Edward Gavin, maintains the council’s vote was meaningless because, under state law, the agreement went into effect while it was in limbo.
Full story here.
What a waste of resources, no way a judge sides with the city. Just going to cost the taxpayers more money fighting this. Time to move on.
Harvey, you may be right, but if he doesn’t try he gets it from the public. Lose/lose situation.
Thank you, Lisa and Harvey.
Maybe Joe simply knows he can’t do this but just like the PR machine of Bill Finch, he knows no limit to a good public relations stunt.
“I tried but the courts wouldn’t let me,” moaned Mayor Ganim.
Maybe he should be concentrating on what he can control and that is the Unaffiliated pay grades. Amend the ordinance. Roll them back immediately and freeze them until the city is more financially capable to pay these absurd rates to begin with.
Now that would be real leadership instead of simple showmanship.
Almost two months into his administration, the public is starting to notice these lose/lose situations. This $2.4 million contract is also part of the Flatto $20 million deficit the people of the City of Bridgeport will be forced to pay. No effort on the three bigger chunks of the deficit. As of 12:00 pm, January 20, 2016 we are facing the possibility of heavy snow coming up this weekend. Weekends where the streets of Bridgeport become parking lots and become very difficult to plow. Let’s touch base on Monday and see the state of the CITY.
What’s up with that?
Mayor Ganim doesn’t want discussion of his past but complains about an inherited deficit, when in actuality he inherited a three-year pay raise. Pending a reversal, the ink has dried.
*** It’s simply a political shot in the dark that will hopefully gain some PR points after all is said and done, no? *** WHOOP ***
He may gain PR but as he will fail to achieve any savings at a cost to the city, it will not be good PR. Do not forget he will be alienating all his supervisors and further a climate of distrust among all the unions and their members. How can the unions trust their negotiating with the city if the city does not honor their contractual agreements?