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There’s a reason Bakersfield’s fire and police unions have been working without a contract for more than a year and negotiations are dragging on, no end in sight.
The city manager’s office is not only rigid, but I believe unreasonable in its bargaining position.
I know, I know, you can’t believe Alan “old softie” Tandy would ever be unreasonable.
But, um, it’s true.
“Oh yeah, he comes in and thumps his hand on the table and acts like a big bully,” Bill Ware, president of the Bakersfield Police Officers Association, told me. “We’re not intimidated by that. We’re cops. We intimidate those who intimidate others.”
As a result of all that hand thumping, the police officer’s union contract expired in July 2007 and the two sides are now at impasse. The firefighters’ contract expired a year ago but they’re still talking with the city.
The real nut here is retirement, not pay.
Both unions...
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