HAWKS & HALSTEAD WIN VICTORY FOR RACINE UNION EMPLOYEES – RACINE MUST ABIDE BY CONTRACTS FOR 2013 & 2014

The Racine County Circuit Court has issued a declaratory judgment in favor of over 500 union represented employees of the City of Racine, who sued the City for breaching five collective bargaining agreements between the Unions and the City. In late 2010 and early 2011,the three unions – AFSCME Local 67, the Racine Police Association and IAFF Local 321 – entered into agreements for wages, insurance and other benefits for 2013 and 2014. In July 2012, the Racine City Council announced that it would refuse to honor the agreements, thereby depriving the employees covered by those agreements of nearly $4,000,000.00 in compensation, including retirement benefits. The Unions sued the City, alleging that it was obligated to fully comply with all of its promises under the five agreements. On December 20, 2012, the Racine County Circuit Court rebuked the City, stating that the City’s actions were “contrary to the wording of [Act 10] contrary to case law, contract law, and the concepts of fairness and equity.” Attorneys Timothy Hawks and Aaron Halstead, Of Counsel secured the favorable decision for the Unions.