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Goldwater Institute, Poder in Action sue Phoenix over contract talks with police union

A conservative institute and a progressive activist group are separately suing Phoenix over contract negotiations with a large police union.

The current deal between the city and the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association is set to expire at the end of June.

A lawsuit by Poder in Action accuses Phoenix of breaking its own city code, which requires public access to and comment on a draft contract the union was supposed to submit but didn’t.

Poder in Action wants a judge to halt secret talks now underway so the city can rewind and redo the process.

A separate lawsuit by the Goldwater Institute accuses Phoenix of illegally withholding public records related to the negotiations.

The police union says a letter of intent to bargain was sent to the city, instead of a draft contract, because other unions with which Phoenix negotiates have done the same thing for years.

Phoenix officials did not comment on either lawsuit and it is unclear if the city has been served.

Matthew Casey has won Edward R. Murrow awards for hard news and sports reporting since he joined KJZZ as a senior field correspondent in 2015.