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SCRANTON — A part-time police officer for Ashley Borough has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against borough officials, alleging he was targeted for retaliation by police brass after he attempted to unionize the department.

In the complaint, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania in Scranton by John H. Urbanski, of Noble Street, Nanticoke, Urbanski said he talked to other officers in June 2015 about forming a collective bargaining unit, but the officers “were hesitant to take the initiative for fear of retaliation.”

Urbanski then took it upon himself to explore the possibility of forging a bargaining agreement, and was advised by the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board to begin the process, according to the complaint.

On June 29, 2015, the complaint said, Urbanski sent a text message to all Ashley police officers, including Police Chief David Fedorczyk and Sgt. Joseph McGlynn III, the son of Ashley Borough council member Joseph McGlynn Jr., the suit states. The text message sent by Urbanski said that he was going to keep signatures on a petition for collective bargaining confidential, and recommended those replying to not “reply all” but to “please call me or message me directly.”

The suit claims that borough manager Greg Gulick told Urbanski, “You know you’ll lose your job over this,” and informed him that if the police department unionized, Pennsylvania State Police would take over coverage of the borough.

In the complaint, Urbanski said he was then retaliated against over the course of the summer, including being issued a written warning by Fedorczyk and McGlynn and being denied training by the Pennsylvania Narcotic Officers Association, to which he had already been accepted. Urbanski claims he also was denied uniform allowance and his scheduled hours were reduced, but that he was not suspended or terminated.

Attempts Monday afternoon to reach Fedorczyk, Gulick and William Vinsko, the borough solicitor, for comment were unsuccessful.

Urbanski is suing for unspecified damages, including punitive damages by the individual council members, interest and legal fees.

By Melanie Mizenko

[email protected]

Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko.