Jacksonville, Unions at Impasse but Still Talking

Posted: April 19, 2010 - 5:45pm

By Matt Galnor

Jacksonville is at impasse with four of its six unions and is looking at dates for hearings with magistrates to hear the disputes.

Yet city negotiators continue to hold bargaining sessions with those same unions, as they did Monday with the Fraternal Order of Police, to continue to work on a new contract.

Problem is, there's still no movement on the big three issues that drove the two sides to impasse: wages, pensions and health insurance.

City, Unions Still Talk — Just Not About the Big Stuff

Submitted by Matt Galnor on April 19, 2010 - 1:52pm

Think of it as moving all of the knick-knacks and clothes out of the house by yourself and waiting on the movers for the couches and heavy, clunky furniture.

Jacksonville is at impasse with four of its six unions, including the Fraternal Order of Police, but city negotiators sat down this morning at the police union hall.

Both sides are trying to hash out smaller items now and leave only the heavy lifting for outside arbitrators and, possibly, the City Council.

Jacksonville City Departments Show Potential Cuts

Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton

Early proposals include dimming street lights, closing libraries, laying off workers

Posted: April 20, 2010 - 4:24pm

By Matt Galnor

A 5 percent cut in Jacksonville's city budget could mean shuttered libraries, darker streets and about 150 fewer workers on the city payroll.

All are among ideas offered by city department heads, told by Mayor John Peyton to show what cutting 5 percent would look like.

Those ideas started coming into Peyton's office this week and will be taken into consideration as Peyton tries to plug a projected $58 million shortfall largely tied to rising employee costs.