FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 14, 2024
MEDIA CONTACT:
Mike Skelly
917-364-8142
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA PBA PREVAILS IN LEGAL BATTLE WITH THE CITY OFBRADENTON, FOLLOWING THE CITY'S REFUSAL TO PAY ITS POLICE OFFICERS IN VIOLATIONOF THE OFFICERS' CONTRACTUAL RIGHTS
Arbitrator Rules That the City of Bradenton Violated the Labor Agreement Between the PBA and the City of Bradenton and Ordered the City to Make Its Police Officers Whole
BRADENTON, FL- In a major victory for the hard-working men and women, who risk their lives maintaining public safety in the City of Bradenton every day, the Southwest Florida PBA, which represents Police Officers, Sergeants, and Lieutenants in the Bradenton Police Department, has announced that an Arbitrator has ruled that the City failed to provide the officers with the wage increases they were owed and unequivocally compelled the City to place all PBA members in the salary steps that reflects their current years of service as of September 30, 2023.
The Arbitrator's ruling follows a class action grievance that the PBA filed last year when the City of Bradenton refused to adhere to the terms of the PBA's contract which the City had agreed to. That contract was also ratified by members of the Southwest Florida PBA. The contract would have provided long overdue raises during theyears in which the officers' salaries were frozen by the city. In total, fourteen Police Officers and two Sergeants were impacted by this wage freeze. In their arguments before the Arbitrator, the PBA asserted that the language in the contract, which was agreed to by both parties, was very clear. That language stated that all bargaining unit members would be placed in salary steps that were consistent with their years of service and the Arbitrator agreed that there was no other way to interpret that provision in the contract. Accordingly, the Arbitrator directed the City to comply with his findings and directed the City to place all affected bargaining unit members in their correct steps and retroactively pay those members what they should have been paid starting October 1, 2023.
Commenting on the Arbitrator's ruling, Southwest Florida PBA president Mick McHale said, "We are very pleased with the Arbitrator's decision, which is not only a victory for our members and their families, it's also a victory for the citizens of Bradenton who care deeply about their police force and understand that investing in our work force is an investment in public safety as well. The officers I represent are the same men and women who worked around the clock to keep the public safe during the aftermath of catastrophic hurricanes that hit our area hard. They left their families and disregarded their own personal situations to help our city when it needed them the most. They worked for years without receiving the raises that reflected their essential service to our city. And in response, the City brazenly and shamefully tried to deny them the money they were owed and legally entitled to. We are pleased that these men and women will finally be made whole and we will continue to vigorously fight to protect their employment rights."
The Arbitrator also ordered the City to pay the full cost of the Arbitration, which was $10,000 plus their attorneys fees. Attached is a copy of the Arbitrator's decision.
