Hey Joe

Letter writer Diana Lang's ("Next up: Economic torture," Sept. 23) "facts which can not be denied" is an unruly list of sloppy misstatements.

� Ms. Lang says the city won an unfair labor practice lawsuit against the union. In fact there was no lawsuit at all. The city has filed numerous unfair labor practice complaints against the union but it has not won any of them. And in at least one case the city's own attorney declined to testify under oath. As Mr. Bartee has pointed out in city council sessions, it is not that the firefighters have refused to negotiate. The city council decided for its own reasons, good or bad, to stop negotiations. And, oh yes, it demanded arbitration - and lost.

What She actually said was:
"Fire Union bosses refused to negotiate, forcing the city to take the union bosses to court twice, and file an Unfair Labor Practice against them with the State of California." *
Ms. Lang never used the word lawsuit. The result of this proceeding was arbitration.
The city demanded arbitration because the union would not open the contract to allow salary negotiations.
This left the city to pursue reducing staffing minimums as the only option to stave off bankruptcy.
Now that the city has lost arbitration, bankruptcy seems a likely prospect.

*Source: Vallejo Times Herald 10/2/07