By Rick Orlov
Daily News

The Los Angeles Police Protective League, seeking to avoid the problems plaguing firefighter union talks, turned to the full City Council on Friday with a private appeal to get involved with contract negotiations.

In a letter, hand-delivered to each council office, the police union asked all members to begin raising questions about the status of contract talks and override the Executive Employee Relations Commission and Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to reach a settlement.

"TheEERC again rejected proposed options for cost savings...to achieve a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the rank-and-file members of the Los Angeles Police Department," the letter said. "This is the fourth occasion over the last several months that the EERC and/or the Mayor have rejected our multiple cost-savings measures."

The EERC is made up of the mayor and key council members and oversees all salary negotiations.

A main sticking point has been the mayor's insistence there be no change in the LAPD hiring plan, officials said.

Unlike the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, the LAPPL has not waged a public campaign over the issue.

But in their letter, they warn failure to resolve the issue could lead to "irreparable damage to our working relationship."

The city wants to declare an impasse in the talks with firefighters, which would allow it to impose a new contract without further talks. UFLAC is protesting that plan and a hearing is set later this month on the issue.