From the Press & Sun Bulletin: In separate decisions Thursday, the Appellate Division of New York State Supreme Court ruled the village of Johnson City doesn't need to arbitrate its decision to abolish the vacant assistant fire chief position, and that it can choose hearing officers for disciplinary hearings without the union's consent.

In January 2009, the village voted to eliminate the assistant-chief position after it had been vacant for more than a year. Local 921 appealed, saying the decision violated its contract with the village. The Broome County Supreme Court ruled that June that the village and the union would need to go to arbitration before the position could be eliminated.

The second ruling, also reversing a decision handed down in June 2009, that the hearing officer for disciplinary proceedings against the fire marshal and a and firefighter needed to be chosen through arbitration. The village can now choose the hearing officer for fire department disciplinary matters without any input from the firefighters' union.