International Association of Firefighters v. City of Springfield

              NO. 4-07-0439 Filed 1/29/08
IN THE APPELLATE COURT
OF ILLINOIS
FOURTH DISTRICT
THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
FIREFIGHTERS, LOCAL No. 37,
Plaintiff-Appellee,
v.
THE CITY OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS,
Defendant-Appellant.
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Appeal from
Circuit Court of
Sangamon County
No. 06CH395
Honorable
Patrick W. Kelley,
Judge Presiding.
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JUSTICE STEIGMANN delivered the opinion of the court:
In February 2006, plaintiff, the International Associa-tion
of Firefighters, Local No. 37 (hereinafter the Union) and
defendant, the City of Springfield, entered into arbitration to
resolve a dispute regarding the proper application of the Family
and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (29 U.S.C. §§2601 through 2654
(2000)), pursuant to their collective-bargaining agreement.
In June 2006 and August 2006, the Union and the City,
respectively, filed petitions requesting that the trial court
partially vacate and amend the arbitrator's ruling.
The parties later filed cross-motions for summary
judgment, each alleging that certain portions of the arbitrator's
ruling should be vacated. In April 2007, the trial court granted
the Union's motion and partially vacated the arbitrator's ruling.
The City appeals, arguing, in part, that the court lacked author-ity
to determine whether the arbitrator misinterpreted the
Medical Leave Act.
Because we conclude that the trial court lacked author-