John Arns, president of Dunkirk’s police officers union, criticized Mayor Kate Wdowiasz Tuesday for her handling of grievances.

The Dunkirk Police Benevolent Association and the city government will meet with an arbitrator April 8 over a list of grievances from the union.

The news came out Tuesday at a Common Council meeting, with PBA President John Arns criticizing Mayor Kate Wdowiasz.

“The mayor’s refusal to engage with the police union is more than just a matter of pride — it’s a dangerous choice that puts the safety of the public at risk,” he said. “By turning away from open communication, the mayor is ignoring the very people tasked with protecting the city.

“This decision not only wastes taxpayers money that could be better spent on essential services, it also violates federal laws meant to guide fair and effective governance.”

Arns also criticized City Attorney Eliott Raimondo, stating he had failed to ensure compliance with the aforementioned laws. “The attorney’s silence in this matter raises serious concerns about the legal implications of such actions,” Arns said.

Arns concluded, “When key issues go unaddressed, it’s not just a matter of political fallout, it’s a direct threat to the well-being of every resident. The mayor’s actions, with the passive complicity of the city attorney, are putting both the community and the officers at greater risk, all while ignoring the legal and fiscal responsibilities that come with leadership.”

Wdowiasz addressed Arns’ comments shortly thereafter.

“Just so the general public knows, the PBA has filed grievances against the city for things that they feel are not fair. We do have an arbitration date set for (April 8) and we will let an arbitrator decide those grievances,” she said. “There really is no response any further that I need to make… We have responded and given our answers. We’re sorry you’re not happy with those answers. The city is in a fiscal crisis and we’re not going to bend like past administrations have done.”

The issue came up later in Tuesday’s meeting from a somewhat surprising source: a discussion about approving use of city fields for the Chadwick Bay Softball Tournament July 31 to Aug. 4.

Councilwoman Nancy Nichols stated that tournament organizers would use volunteers for field maintenance during games played on the weekend, with the city Department of Public Works handling it on other days. That spurred a question from Wdowiasz about whether the use of volunteers was cleared with the city employees’ union.

“As I’ve just alluded to, we are receiving grievances on a daily basis because we are stopping past practices that have not been in the taxpayers’ best interests,” the mayor said.

Nichols replied, “You’ve already forbid overtime, so how are we going to have overtime when we can’t do overtime?” Wdowiasz said a limited amount of overtime was written into each city department’s budget.

Nichols and Wdowiasz bickered a bit over the issue, the mayor demanding written proof that the union was fine with the volunteer work.

Nichols snapped, “In the future, mayor, if you wish to speak when I’m speaking, could you please just give me some kind of signal instead of…” She halted mid-sentence and exclaimed, “Don’t be rolling your eyes at me!”

“You can stop disrespecting me as well,” Wdowiasz hit back.

Nichols replied, “Really? Respect is earned.”

The council wound up unanimously approving the tournament — and waiving the $100 field usage fee. Nichols promoted the tourney as a source of many summer visitors to Dunkirk, stating that 73 teams with around 1,000 girls total are coming.