McGuire Says FOP Ready for Court Battle

After an opinion yesterday in favor of the Louisville Fraternal Order of Police, the union president says they’re ready for a possible court battle with Metro Government. A hearing officer with the state Labor Cabinet said yesterday the city should stop charging its police officers for use of their take-home vehicles.  The fees were put in place last year and then raised this year to offset a budget shortfall.FOP President John McGuire says if the final opinion issued by the Labor Secretary goes their way, they’re prepared for the city to appeal to circuit court.“In our opinion it would be a loser for the city, but they’ve drawn out long legal battles over clear, losing cases before so it wouldn’t be a surprise if they took that stance again on this," says McGuire.The union contends the fees are illegal because they weren’t negotiated through collective bargaining.  The city says the take-home cars are a privilege, not a right.  Louisville Metro Government officials say they’re consulting with the county attorney’s office on how to proceed.