City Commission Releases a Statement Regarding IPPA Negotiations

IRONWOOD, MI - Wednesday, July 30, 2008 - The Ironwood City Commission held a very brief special meeting at 7:00 PM tonight. The meeting immediately went into closed session. After less than ten minutes behind closed doors, the meeting was returned to open session.

The Commission unanimously agreed to release the following statement and then adjourned the meeting:

"The City of Ironwood and the Ironwood Professional Police Association (IPPA) have been involved in contract negotiations since their April 2007 contract expired. The negotiating teams have met numerous times to find common ground on challenging budgetary issues. The process is now heading to arbitration with the State at the request of the Police Union.

Public Safety provides very crucial services to the citizens of Ironwood and is doing a great job of law enforcement. The force of Public Safety Officers is a group of professional men and women who also serve as first responder fire fighters to the community.

The City Commission supports and has confidence in the direction of the City negotiating team. The Commission has and remains firm in its offers that have been made at the negotiating table.

Both sides are negotiating in good faith and neither side has filed a complaint with the state alleging a failure of the other side to negotiate in good faith. Although tentative agreements have been reached on a number of negotiated items the major stumbling block is the rising healthcare costs and increasing budgetary constraints.

The City will continue to negotiate in good faith keeping in mind not only the needs of the Public Safety Department but also its fiscal responsibility to the tax payers and local residents of the City of Ironwood."

The entire meeting was over in less than fifteen minutes.