Twinsburg is facing an unfair labor practice charge from the union representing the city’s police officers. The charge alleges the city isn’t filling the union’s records requests.
The charge comes after three Twinsburg police officers filed a lawsuit against the city and police chief alleging failure to fill records requests, among other concerns.
The unfair labor practice charge stems from information that Ohio Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association general counsel Dom Saturday requested related to employee grievances in late March, he said.
“Not only have you not provided the information, you haven’t even acknowledged the emails asking for the information that we’ve requested," he said. "You haven’t even said, ‘Thanks for the email. We’re working on your request. We’ll get it to you within this anticipated timeframe.’”
Typically, employers are on top of filling requests from the union, he said, and he doesn’t have to file an unfair labor practice charge with the State Employment Relations Board.
“We’ve filed them rarely in the past," Saturday said. "I can think of a few that I’ve filed, but I can count them on one hand.”
The state board is now investigating the matter, he said.
Similar allegations of not filling records requests are listed in the lawsuit filed by three police officers earlier in April against the city.
The officers, Daniel Fidoe, Olivia Bartulovic and Matthew Pfeifer, have been placed on paid administrative leave with no explanation, according to letters from the city acquired by Ideastream Public Media. Most police departments will give a reason for discipline, Saturday said. The lawsuit alleges the officers have been facing retaliation for looking into issues of misconduct in the department.
"It would have to be one amazing coincidence in a workplace with 20 or so officers, right? It would have to be an amazing coincidence for three officers all simultaneously to commit some type of offense so serious as to warrant being put out on leave," Saturday said.
All three officers have been on leave since March 8. Saturday is concerned the police department is not conducting a swift investigation into concerns about the officers' conduct that led them to be placed on leave.
"You've committed serious misconduct, and now we'll take months to figure out what we're doing," Saturday said. "Well usually if misconduct is serious, employees are dealt with swiftly."
Twinsburg has not responded to a request for comment on the unfair labor practice charge or reason behind the officers being placed on leave.
