By Jim Cline and Kim Lowe
In King County, Arbitrator Latsch upheld the discharge of Deputy Fire Marshall, Mr. A, who was fired after a citizen complained that he drove aggressively in his work vehicle and harassed her. Latsch found that King County had just cause to terminate A, in large part because of A’s “evasive and false statements” about the incident and repeatedly changing his story while it was investigated.
By Jim Cline and Kim Lowe
In City of Webster Grove, Missouri, Arbitrator Peña denied the grievances alleging that the City went back on its agreement to pay employee firefighters up to 6-months of differential pay when they are completing military service instead of the 120 hours designated in the City policy. Because the Union did not negotiate the collective bargaining agreement to include the updated military leave policy, and the City’s evidence that the policy was never changed was more credible, Arbitrator Peña held that unit members are only entitled to the 120-hours.
