Louisville’s Air Pollution Control District is close to reaching a settlement with the union that represents 19 current employees over the agency’s reorganization.Afteran audit that found serious issues with the way the APCD was collecting air monitoring data, Mayor Greg Fischer ordered a reorganization. Job descriptions were updated, and every current employee was made to reapply for their jobs.But because of a standoff with the union (the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME), the process had stalled during negotiations.One barrier to total reorganization was lifted last week, when an appeals court dismissed an injunction filed in May that stopped the APCD from making any moves that affected the agency’s union positions. But negotiations with the union were already nearing completion, and APCD Executive Director Keith Talley said the parties will continue moving forward with that.“It was good conversation and it was good to let both parties air out both sides,” he said. “At the end of the day, we hammered out a good agreement and are more than happy to abide by that.”Talley said the settlement will be finalized over the next few days, and will be made public then.
