Hartford Police Union v. Hartford, No. Cv 00 596536 S (Mar. 15, 2000)

**Hartford Police Union Loses Court Fight Over Contract Dispute** The Hartford Police Union went to court seeking an emergency order to stop the City of Hartford from taking some action related to their employment contract. The union asked for a temporary restraining order, which is a court order that would have immediately prevented the city from doing something while the legal dispute continued. The court refused to grant the union's request. The judge ruled that the police union had other ways to resolve their dispute that they needed to try first. Specifically, the union could pursue their case in federal court, where they apparently already had a lawsuit pending, or they could use the arbitration process spelled out in their contract. The court also found that the union was unlikely to win their case on its legal merits. **What This Means for Workers:** This ruling shows that courts expect unions and workers to use all available dispute resolution methods before granting emergency relief. If your employment contract includes arbitration clauses or if there are other legal proceedings already underway, courts may require you to pursue those options first. Workers should be aware that getting immediate court intervention in employment disputes can be difficult, especially when other resolution processes are available.