PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A Philadelphia judge has ruled that City Council can't hold public hearings on the police union contract because the bargaining process is covered by state law. City officials are considering an appeal.
Judge Angelo Foglietta ruled that a measure requiring public hearings on the Fraternal Order of Police contract, enacted in the wake of last year's Black Lives Matter protests, interfered with Act 111, the state law that governs public safety unions.
FOP president John McNesby, who sued to stop the legislation, said the ruling was no surprise. "It was kind of expected because they can't interfere with bargaining rights," he said.
"I think that was a little bit of grandstanding. Everybody was talking about reform at that time and wanted to do x, y, z and really put no thought into it. Rather than sit down with us and talk with us, they wanted to put it in front of the council."
McNesby said he welcomed the judge's ruling, but said it would have no immediate impact because the union just got a new contract, so it won't be an issue for another three years.
Council did hold a hearing before the most recent contract was settled. McNesby took a dim view of the proceedings.
"It turned into one big session about complaints," he said, "nothing really to do with our bargain. It was all neighborhood complaints."
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The law's sponsor, Councilwoman Katherine Gilmore Richardson, said ideas aired at the hearing became part of the city's proposal. Those included a residency requirement for officers and stricter disciplinary measures.
But the ultimate contract, decided by an arbitration panel, included few of the reforms the city sought.
Richardson said she disagrees with the ruling, and that the hearings were meant to bring more accountability to the process.
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