Newark's main police union has rejected an offer by the city to save the jobs of 167 officers marked for layoffs.
In a statement Tuesday, the Fraternal Order of Police's executive board said it had unanimously rejected the proposals that had been characterized as "take it or leave it'' by city officials.
Last week, the union proposed $2.7 million in cuts that would affect the 167 officers targeted. City officials responded with a plan that called for cuts spread out over the entire department -- $1.2 million in overtime, $3.7 million in pay deferrals and $1.9 million in furloughs.
The layoffs were scheduled for Nov. 12, but a judge granted a 10-day extension. Mayor Cory Booker had said the city would give the unions until next Tuesday to review the proposals.
But shortly after the FOP's announcement, Booker, Acting Business Administrator Julien Neals, and Police Director Garry McCarthy announced that the city would lay off the 167 police officers effective on Tuesday, November 30..
“Other communities across the state and nation have called upon their police unions to share the pain of this economy through even more significant concessions. Many of those police unions have answered that call, but the leadership of the Newark FOP has failed its membership and the citizens of Newark," said Booker.
Meanwhile, Derrick Hatcher, president of the FOP called the move by Newark officials was politics and payback for the union not supporting Booker's re-election bid.
