No police talks for 2 councilmen

Omaha City Council President Garry Gernandt says he is sticking by his decision to skip sitting in on police contract negotiations.

Gernandt said Wednesday that he and City Council Vice President Franklin Thompson have not changed their minds despite a legal opinion from the city attorney that gave them the go-ahead to participate.

“We believe that it would be inappropriate to participate in the negotiation process and still remain independent when we vote,” Gernandt said.

Mayor Jim Suttle last week invited the two men to join him at the bargaining table, after the council postponed a final decision on the police contract.

The council sent the contract back for another round of labor talks, after proposing several changes. The changes include shortening the length of the contract from five years to three.

In a letter to Suttle last week, Gernandt and Thompson wrote that they would not be involved in the negotiations, citing legal advice from three private attorneys and an opinion from City Attorney Paul Kratz.

But Kratz this week sent a letter to the councilmen clarifying his position, saying that his statement should be considered in the context in which it was given.

Kratz said that at the time of his opinion, the council was considering the contract and the union president was lobbying the council to approve it.

When the council voted last week to change the contract, Kratz wrote, “the situation changed significantly.” Now, he said, he sees no legal reason that a council member should not be present at the bargaining table.

“Whether you want to accept the mayor's invitation to sit at the negotiation table is a policy decision made by members of the council,” he said, “but I can see no legal reason not to do so.”

In a statement Wednesday, Suttle said council members should participate in union talks “to speak in support of their amendments.”

Contact the writer:

444-3100, maggie.obrien@owh.com

« Metro/Region

Share