From CITIZENS VOICE:
(Wilkes-Barre): As the unemployment rate in northeastern Pennsylvania hovers just below the 10 percent mark, many area residents who have managed to hold jobs are struggling to get buy on stagnant or even reduced paychecks.
That’s not so for some workers in the public sector, who continue to secure raises while their neighbors are treading water or sinking further into debt.
One reason for this unfair situation is salary arbitration mandated under Pennsylvania’s Act 111. That’s the state law that was intended to protect the collective bargaining rights of police and firefighters while prohibiting them from striking. When negotiations between local governments and public safety workers break down, Act 111 sends the process to arbitration, whereby a supposedly neutral panel presents a binding contract.
Unfortunately for taxpayers, recent arbitration awards have been generous for unions but onerous for local governments. In some cases, public officials have opted to accept raises they believe are too high rather than take a chance on submitting to arbitration and getting saddled with an even higher award…
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