Toledo, police union deal in sight?

TOLEDO, Ohio - An end might be in sight to those on going negotiations between the city of Toledo and the Toledo Police Patrolman's Association . City administrators and the council have decided to put their best deal forward.

Council members voted Tuesday night to enter into binding arbitration. That basically means when that neutral third party comes back to town, the city will put its offer on the table. Details of that deal aren't being released. If the union agrees to the arbitration, that neutral third party will decide right then and there which side's deal will be accepted.

It's a gamble, but one Mayor Carty Finkbeiner says needs to be taken.

"We believe that we've got a very strong case to make and we're prepared to put that case on the table on the 28th of May," said Mayor Finkbeiner.

May 28 is when the city and the union will come back to the bargaining table. Instead of the neutral third party listening to each side, and taking potentially months to make a final decision, arbitration could speed up the process.

"Time is losing money for us and our effort to balance the city's budget this year," the mayor said.

The council approved that idea Tuesday, but it was not unanimous.

"Look if you're going to sit down at the table and bargain, bargain in there. Not come here if you already knew it ain't gonna work and get the publicity. They're going to start firing back," said Councilman Phil Copeland.

"If we have to go through the summer and into the fall with no agreement all I see are more layoffs on the horizon and I would like to get all police back to work and get moving in the right direction," added Councilman George Sarantou.

With layoffs and shutdowns in the auto industry, Toledo's tax money is slowly decreasing, so the mayor says now is the time for union and his administration to get this behind them.

"Those two aren't always on the same track. In this case, in 2009 with us being as hard pressed as we are to make payroll and meet budgets, clearly there has to be some give," said Mayor Finkbeiner.

TPPA union president Dan Wagner says his union will not go into arbitration. He says that's not the process. Wagner says a UT professor who came up with budget figures will be deposed Wednesday.  The union hopes to see if the city's budget deficit numbers are in fact accurate.