Prof’l Firefighters Ass’n of Omaha v. City of Omaha

Appellants in this case were the Professional Firefighters Association of Omaha, Local 385, the president of the association, and individual employees covered by the bargaining unit represented by Local 385 (collectively, the firefighters). The firefighters filed two declaratory judgment actions in the district court seeking declarations that the City of Omaha was misinterpreting the terms of orders entered by Nebraska’s Commission of Industrial Relations (CIR). The district court determined that the City owed additional wages because it failed to comply with the CIR orders. The firefighters then brought this suit under the Nebraska Wage Payment and Collection Act (the Act) for wages they claimed were due under the CIR orders. The district court concluded that the firefighters had no valid claim under the Act. At issue in this consolidated appeal was whether the wages were “agreed to” at the time of the final CIR order or whether they were “agreed to” when the declaratory judgment actions were resolved. The Supreme Court reversed, holding that the wages were agreed to on the date of the final CIR order, and therefore, the district court erred in determining that the firefighters did not have a valid claim under the Act. View "Prof’l Firefighters Ass’n of Omaha v. City of Omaha" on Justia Law