Arbitrator Rules That City of Bradenton Violated Labor Agreement with Police Union

BRADENTON — The Southwest Florida PBA, which represents Police Officers, Sergeants, and Lieutenants in the Bradenton Police Department, announced Thursday that an arbitrator has ruled that the city failed to provide the officers with the wage increases they were owed and unequivocally compelled the city to place all PBA members in the salary steps that reflect their current years of service as of September 30, 2023.

The union called the ruling "a major victory for the hard-working men and women who risk their lives maintaining public safety in the City of Bradenton every day."

The arbitrator's ruling follows a class action grievance that the PBA filed last year when the City of Bradenton refused to adhere to the terms of the PBA's contract, which the city had previously agreed to. Members of the Southwest Florida PBA also ratified the contract, which would have provided overdue raises during the years in which the city froze the officers' salaries.

The wage freeze impacted fourteen Police Officers and two Sergeants. In their arguments before the arbitrator, the PBA asserted that the language in the contract, which was agreed to by both parties, was very clear. That language stated that all bargaining unit members would be placed in salary steps consistent with their years of service. The arbitrator agreed that there was no other way to interpret the provision and directed the city to comply with his findings, place all affected bargaining unit members in their correct steps, and retroactively pay those members what they should have been paid starting October 1, 2023.

"We are very pleased with the arbitrator's decision, which is not only a victory for our members and their families," said Southwest Florida PBA president Mick McHale, "but also a victory for the citizens of Bradenton who care deeply about their police force and understand that investing in our workforce is an investment in public safety. The officers I represent are the same men and women who worked around the clock to keep the public safe during the aftermath of catastrophic hurricanes that hit our area hard. They left their families and disregarded their own personal situations to help our city when it needed them the most. They worked for years without receiving the raises that reflected their essential service to our city. In response, the city brazenly and shamefully tried to deny them the money they were owed and legally entitled to. We are pleased that these men and women will finally be made whole, and we will continue to vigorously fight to protect their employment rights."

The arbitrator also ordered the City to pay the full cost of the arbitration, which was $10,000 plus their attorney's fees.