Town, PBA Declare 'Impasse' in Contract Negotiations
A state-appointed arbitrator will now decide the terms, officials say
Mahwah’s government officials and members of the township PBA union have reached an impasse in contract negotiations, and will turn to an arbitrator to decide the terms of their 2013 contract, officials said this week. This is the second time ever that the two sides have declared an impasse in contract negotiations.
According to Mahwah Township Council President Harry Williams, the council voted to declare an impasse after over an hour of discussion about the issue in a closed session of the March 7 township council meeting.
“We talked around every aspect of it over and over [before voting on it],” Williams said. “We considered what the differences of opinion were, and whether we felt the two sides were close enough to continue, negotiations, or not.”
After the discussion, “we felt it was the right time to go to arbitration,” he said.
Williams said he could not provide any specific details on what the points of negotiation are between the town and members of the PD are. PBA union representatives did not respond to a call for comment, and Mahwah’s administration declined to comment on the nature of the disagreement.
According to officials, a state-assigned arbitrator will now head to Mahwah to hear both sides, and determine a solution.
The township does not anticipate an impasse with the other two township unions in Mahwah, white collar employees and blue collar employees. According to Williams, the agreements with those unions will likely not come until after the town and PBA reach an agreement. But, "we think we are in a good place," with those negotiations, Williams said.
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Ralph
10:10 am on Friday, March 15, 2013
What Mahwah Government officials were negotiating with the PBA?
Oscar
7:09 pm on Friday, March 15, 2013
How come Roths budget for his cable network was the only budget not examined. Lets give that money to town workers who really deserve it
Ira
5:14 am on Saturday, March 16, 2013
What do you mean by "Lets give that money to town workers" ?
Since when Mahwah taxpayers are in business of giving money ?
Maria Morales
4:50 pm on Saturday, March 16, 2013
Yes, if they who are in the inside of making decisions on behalf of all Mahwah citizens think they need an arbitrator, by all means let the process work. I am proud of the work the police chief and his officers perform for the citizens of Mahwah, but they have an union that protects their interests and who protects ours? Non-union or non-government tax payers are tired of paying for runaway government expending. Stop all the public relations spinning and lets face reality... there is no more money to throw around. Let unions be responsible citizens also and cut back on SPENDING. Greed is eroding this country into being a second rate nation for the majority of its citizens.