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Jeff Hines, McCracken Circuit Court judge, looks over papers
from the Fraternal Order of Police v. City
of Paducah
case in court Friday in Paducah.
Representatives of both
sides appeared in court. |
City Manager Jim Zumwalt
said he has discussed potential solutions
to a dispute over the city’s
health insurance policy with
members of the Paducah Police
Department’s bargaining unit.
The unit filed a lawsuit claiming
the city violated its contract
by reducing its insurance allocation
for employees who opt out
of the city’s group plan.
City Attorney David Kelly has said the change is legal.
Zumwalt said he met with Fraternal
Order of Police representatives
to discuss a grievance filed
by Sgt. David White that also
challenges the policy change.
Police union, city talks may put end to lawsuit.
Action began after commission changed to health insurance policy
in Kentucky,” he said.
Jones will be arraigned Feb. 15.
“We discussed the grievance
and whether it was possible to
find a path that would resolve it,”
Zumwalt said. “We discussed an
option that might be successful,
which entails, as part of it, allowing
folks who bought independent
insurance last year to do that this
year (with the same allocation).”
Zumwalt said he agreed to put
the terms of their discussion in
writing, which “may or may not
lead to settlement of both the
grievance and the litigation.”
FOP President Brian Kopischke
said plaintiffs would drop
the lawsuit if city officials agreed
to delay the change for one year.
He added that officers are
willing to work with city officials
to find a solution.
When the Paducah City Commission
approved the change
Dec. 11, Commissioner Gerald
Watkins said he also preferred
implementing the change next
year to give employees time to
evaluate their options.
This year, the city provides
$7,956 to each employee for health
insurance. Employees total premiums
range from $4,740 to $15,900.
Employees who pay less than
$7,956 can use the rest of that
money for deductibles, co-pays,
and dental or vision insurance.
The policy change would give
employees a smaller allocation,
$3,216, if they opt out of the city
plan in order to offset the loss of
premiums paid into the plan.
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