Matthew Irvin, president of the White Rose Lodge No. 15, Fraternal Order of Police, said the mayor has stated that he would accept a court's ruling — so the union is expecting him to follow the arbitrator's decision.
Irvin said the arbitration process is relatively inexpensive and quick and has worked for almost 50 years. The FOP and the city, he said, have respected these decisions in the past.
He said it's expensive to litigate in the courts.
"We’re spending a lot of money on this case where there’s no evidence of any wrongdoing," Irvin said.
In a statement, Ed Paskey, Swartz's attorney, said, “The Award is another vindication for Clay. The City did not want this matter to go to arbitration and tried repeatedly to prevent/delay the arbitration from happening.”