FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TMPA Represents Edinburg United Police Officers' Association in Victory Against the City of Edinburg
April 8, 2021
Austin, TX - Yesterday, an independent arbitrator delivered a significant victory to the Edinburg United Police Officers’ Association (EUPOA) in their grievance against the City of Edinburg. The grievance was brought because Edinburg Chief of Police, Cesar Torres, had reassigned two Edinburg peace officers as retaliation for actions they took as members of EUPOA. The reassignments caused the officers to lose assignment pay, prestige, and benefits. Further, the reassignments had no merit, were violations of the City’s Meet and Confer Agreement, and violated the officers’ First Amendment Rights. The arbitrator has ordered the City to reassign the officers to their previously held positions with back pay and benefits. On behalf of our affiliate, EUPOA, Texas Municipal Police Association is proud to have represented the officers and pleased that justice has prevailed. Congratulations to the men and women of the EUPOA.
Kevin Lawrence, Executive Director of TMPA, made the following statement: “While we are very gratified that these officers were finally granted relief, we continue to monitor this situation very closely. We are concerned that Chief Torres will retaliate against these officers again. We are also concerned about several other officers who had the courage to testify in the arbitration hearings about the Chief’s blatant mistreatment of too many officers. It is time for the City Manager, Mayor and City Commission to step in and put a stop to Chief Torres’ blatantly totalitarian behaviors. The Chief’s tactics have resulted in very low morale, not to mention the financial burden the taxpayers had to bear to defend those tactics. City management needs make sure that the fine men and women of the Edinburg Police Department are no longer subject to this type of mistreatment.”
Read the full arbitration award document here.
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Media Contact:
Katie Montgomery
(512) 621-5491
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