TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Town of Tonawanda Board is considering legal action against the Town of Tonawanda Police Club for allegedly engaging in an unlawful strike through a ticket-writing boycott.
Town Supervisor Joseph Emminger told me that the alleged strike took place from roughly January 16 to February 5, during which a "large number" of officers were not issuing tickets for three weeks. Supervisor Emminger said the alleged action violated civil service law, prompting the board to take action.
"We are following the law, and I follow the law, so we are going forward with it," said Emminger regarding the resolution to charge the police club.
"There was no strike, there was no ticket ban, there was no anything, we showed up and continued to do our job," said Andy Thompson, President of the Town of Tonawanda Police Club on the phone Monday.
Thompson said he feels that the union is being targeted.
"We've had our relationship with the Police Chief deteriorate over the last year, and our relationship with the Town Supervisor deteriorate over the last six months, so I think that is where a lot of this is coming from," said Thompson.
"They are not happy with the Chief," said Emminger, but added there is a protocol and grievance process established to hold all leaders accountable.
"There are ways to go about it, a work stoppage is not the way to go about it in my opinion because they risk the public safety for the residents in the Town of Tonawanda and that's not the way to handle this," said Emminger.
The Town of Tonawanda Police Club said it plans to attend the board meeting on Monday night to address what it describes as "outright lies" in the lawsuit.
7 News will have a reporter at Monday's meeting, which is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Town of Tonawanda Municipal Building.
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