Superior Court Judge Patricia Lucas has signed a stipulated order, agreed upon by all parties, that prevents any further implementation of San Jose’s divisive pension reform measure until at least July 1, 2015.
“This is a clear admission by the city of the detrimental and insurmountable issues with Measure B. We have been, and are, willing to implement legal pension cost savings so that services can be restored. It was unfortunate that Mayor Reed and his council majority chose to champion the unlawful, noncompetitive and unmanageable Measure B,” said Joel Phelan, President of San Jose Firefighters, IAFF Local 230. “Firefighters, police officers, maintenance supervisors, architects and engineers have been waiting for the city to come to its senses and honestly negotiate instead of playing politics, and that day may finally be near,” Phelan added.
The stipulated agreement delays Measure B’s 16% automatic pay cuts and delays the implementation of its disability provision that removed the guarantee of a disability retirement for police officers and firefighters hurt in the line of duty.
“It is our hope that Mayor Reed and his council majority will stop kicking the can down the road and allow the new City Manager to negotiate a lawful pension cost savings ballot measure to replace the divisive and destructive Measure B,” said John Muhkar, President, Association of Engineers & Architects, IFPTE Local 21.
The loss of hundreds of police officers, a 23% vacancy rate in the Planning Department, emergency medical response times increasing at alarming rates and crime increasing in San Jose neighborhoods have been the results of the ill fated Measure B and associated council actions.
“It is never easy for politicians to say they were wrong and I don’t care if those responsible for Measure B ever apologize to the residents of San Jose. All I care about is fixing the mess they created before the safety of the residents we serve deteriorates any further,” said Jim Unland, President of the San Jose Police Officers’ Association.
This article originally appeared on ProtectSanJose.com
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