Local firefighters allege bargaining violations after 426 days without a contract; town attorney urges mediation

At the public-comment portion of the Dec. 2 Town Council meeting, the president of the Orange Park Association of Firefighters Local 2668 addressed the council with a formal allegation that the town has failed to bargain in good faith and has violated Florida law.

Brandon Dark told the council the department has gone 426 days without a contract, said negotiators reached a tentative agreement in June that was later disavowed by the town, and said correspondence and certified minutes support the union's position. He said the town sent a written letter threatening to seek reimbursement of litigation and attorney fees if the union pursued an unfair labor practice claim, which he described as coercion and a violation of Florida Statute chapter 447.

Town Attorney (addressed later in the meeting as Donna) responded that chapter 447 provides processes to resolve bargaining disputes and urged the parties to consider mediation or a special magistrate; she said the town disagrees with the union's assertion that the town has violated the statute. No formal council action resolving the union's allegations was recorded during the meeting.

Several members of the public followed, expressing support for firefighters and urging the council to address pay, staffing and safety concerns. Councilmembers and staff discussed procedural next steps and legal options.

The exchange on the record centers on competing claims: the union says a tentative agreement existed and the town declined to follow through; the town attorney urged statutory dispute-resolution mechanisms. The transcript cites Florida Statute chapter 447 as the applicable law; the council did not take a legal determination at the meeting and no adjudicative outcome was recorded.