WESTBROOK – The next step for former Westbrook Public Safety dispatcher Laurie St. Jock is arbitration after the city denied her grievance.

St. Jock, 50, spent 30 years as an emergency dispatcher before filing her retirement paperwork with her boss in September.

Shortly after, she realized she had made a mistake and wanted to retract the paperwork. However, the city would not let her and gave her no choice but to retire on Oct. 3.

She learned on Friday, Nov. 19, from her union representative Dan Walsh that the city denied an unjust termination grievance she filed. St. Jock said she will now seek arbitration.

Walsh, of the South Portland Teamsters Union Local 340, said St. Jock was not eligible for retirement due to her age. He said she never should have been able to retire because city policies state an employee must have so many years of service and be a certain age.

“The city’s taken a different position,” he said.

City Administrator Jerre Bryant had no comment on the ongoing personnel matter.

Walsh said the case will now be appealed to the State of Maine Labor Board for arbitration. During those hearings, representatives of St. Jock and the city will meet with a neutral arbitrator to work on the issue, he said.

St. Jock was disappointed her grievance was denied, Walsh said.

“It’s very disheartening to her. She’s given her life to the city,” he said.

St. Jock has said the city’s decision felt like discrimination because a male police officer tendered his resignation and was later welcomed back to the department. It is not clear whether those circumstances are the same as St. Jock’s, as the city has declined to speak about it.

There is no timetable for the arbitration hearing. Walsh noted, “It won’t be for a little while.”