Paul Doughty, president of the Providence firefighters' union, sends along this news:
Pleas by the City of Providence to force the recusal of Frank J. Montanaro, an arbitrator appointed by Fire Fighters Local 799 to serve on its team for City-Union contract talks, and to convene a meeting of the arbitration panel to respond to the City’s demand have been rejected by Attorney Michael C. Ryan, the panel’s neutral chair.
In correspondence dated January 15, Mr. Ryan stated for the record that he “decline[d] to take any of the actions proposed [by the City]” because he has “neither apparent authority nor a reasonable basis to attempt to remove a party-appointed arbitrator from consideration of any of the merits of the case.
“Doing so,” Mr. Ryan continued, “would be contrary to the best interests of the statutory process.” He also declined to convene the panel separately to address the City’s requests, noting that, “There is always time during scheduled hearings for the panel to meet privately about any issue.”
Paul Doughty, President of Local 799, today said that he was “pleased, but hardly surprised” by Mr. Ryan’s ruling.
“From day one, the City’s actions on this matter have not made any sense whatsoever, “said Mr. Doughty. “In essence, the City argued that a paid advocate for our Union’s position somehow must be a neutral party. This is absurd on its face. Mr. Ryan understands the issue quite well, as he clearly indicated in his letter.”