Police and fire officials in Howard County don?t have the leverage to settle contract issues without the ability to strike in a labor dispute, union officials said.
“We don?t have the tools with which to make our point,” said Richard Ruehl, president of the Howard County Professional Fire Fighters Association.
A question on November?s ballot asks voters to decide whether the police and fire unions should have a system of arbitration for contract disputes. This means an arbitrator, usually an attorney or retired judge, would review both sides and come to a decision ? a system the unions said would give them more leverage.
This decision would be binding to the county executive, but the County Council would have the final say, Ruehl told The Examiner.
The county currently uses fact-finding and mediation, which union officials said can drag on for months without reaching a decision.
“There?s no end result,” said Dan Besseck, of the Howard County Police Officers? Association. “When we go through the current procedures, the fact-finders? recommendations are just recommendations.”
Binding arbitration would allow unions to better make their case for pay raises and hours, meaning they would hire and retain better workers, Ruehl said.
“Most people will say, ?I want the best available person to be hired as a police officer,?” he said. “We are losing candidates to surrounding jurisdictions.”
Police department spokeswoman Sherry Llewellyn said the department?s interest is in “anything that helps promote harmonious working relationships,” and they have not taken a position on binding arbitration.
Fire department spokesman Bill Mould said the department is waiting to comment until the county takes a position. County spokeswoman Victoria Goodman did not return repeated calls for comment.
