Judge Grants Greenfield Firefighters' Union Temporary Restraining Order Against City

Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Maxine White has issued a temporary restraining order against the City of Greenfield, preventing the Common Council from voting on a health insurance plan for the city’s firefighters at tonight’s meeting.

The restraining order is in affect through Oct. 20, 2011.

Local 1963, the Greenfield firefighter union, when it became clear the city would move forward with a plan that called for much higher deductibles, higher coinsurance costs and out-of-pocket maximums of $20,000 per individual and $40,000 per family.

Mayor Michael Neitzke had asked both the police and fire unions to voluntarily pay 12.6 percent toward the city’s group health insurance plan, up from the current 9 percent rate, as well as contribute 5.9 percent to their pensions. The .

When the firefighters union voted twice against the voluntary contributions, , Neitzke and the city put together the alternate, non-negotiable health plan, permissible by state legislation.

Greenfield Patch will update this story with reaction throughout the afternoon.