FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:   Brie Turek (407) 246-3106
Cheryl Henry (407) 246-3582

CITY OF ORLANDO AND FRATERNAL ORDER OF POLICE
MOVE TO SPECIAL MAGISTRATE HEARING FOR LABOR NEGOTIATIONS

ORLANDO, FL (Wednesday, May 4, 2005) – Today, the City of Orlando and the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) were not able to come to a collective bargaining agreement. As a result, the labor negotiation process will move to a Special Magistrate two-day hearing, which will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 5, at City Hall.

Throughout the labor contract process, the City has negotiated in good faith and will continue to work toward resolution of the FOP contract.

“This year, the City has been able to resolve contracts with all seven other units, negotiating a 2% increase, and we had hoped to have resolved FOP’s contract at this point. We are committed to the police department and trying to work with the FOP, but we also have an obligation to balance our efforts with the fiscal responsibility to the citizens of Orlando,” said Lee Brown, HR Division Manager for the City of Orlando and Chief Negotiator for this contract.

The City’s labor negotiation team will continue to work toward contract resolution through continued negotiations and the Special Magistrate hearing, but ultimately, if the parties cannot reach agreement, the outstanding contractual issues will have to be decided by City council.

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