"Candidly, we feel like we're caught in the crossfire of an old political battle on the Assembly," said Larry Bell, business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1547.
The Assembly hired attorney Joseph Levesque to review the process used to review and approve contracts with the IBEW and the Anchorage Police Department Employees Association. Levesque concluded that a former chief financial officer didn't appropriately certify that funds were available to cover the five-year agreements, hence they were invalid. Also, Assemblyman Bill Starr has accused the administration of former Mayor Mark Begich of withholding important city finance details that could have affected the Assembly's decision.
"We negotiated our contract in good faith, and there has never been any valid claim otherwise," Bell said in a statement released by the union Thursday.
"Our agreement was approved by the Assembly through the normal public hearing process with ample legislative input and public discussion," the statement says. "We believe a deal is a deal and expect the Municipality will live up to its end of the bargain and honor these contracts."
In an earlier statement, police union president Derek Hsieh said he was baffled by the attorney's conclusion.
"While all this is going on with the Assembly, the city and the media, our officers are out on the street doing their jobs," Hsieh said. "It is my sincere hope that we'll be able to put all of this behind us soon so we can keep the focus where it should be -- maintaining Anchorage's safety and quality of life."
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