Baltimore Police Sue Over City Budget Cuts

The city of Baltimore is being sued by its own police and firefighters for $66 million, after the cash-strapped city proposed cutting back on contributions to union pension plans.

The city of Baltimore is being sued by its own police and firefighters for $66 million. The lawsuit is payback for the cash-strapped city's attempt to cut back on contributions to union pension plans.

In an interview with FrumForum, Baltimore City Police Union President, Robert Cherry, insisted that because the union did not have enough votes in City Council to prevent the passage of the contentious pension cutbacks, there was no other choice but to take the matter to federal court.

“It’s not that we were unwilling to compromise,” said Cherry, who claimed that he had been at the negotiation table since 2009 – “the fact of the matter is, we proposed a budget that would actually save the city money, and they were unwilling to accept it.”

Despite Cherry’s assertions that “this was a lot of [the City Council’s] own fault,” the unavoidable reality is still present: if the City Council is unsuccessful in limiting pension benefits, Baltimore will most likely have to declare bankruptcy.

The Council’s proposed cutbacks would save the city $400 million in the course of five years - while maintaining benefits at national norms. However, union leaders say, that this would be in direct violation of a previously established contract.

While Cherry expresses confidence in the legal merits of his suit, Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has consistently maintained that while “those who make the commitment to protect the safety of our great city deserve a dignified retirement, … it must be one the city can afford” … a statement which – despite their best efforts – will surely be difficult for the unions to refute.