Over 20 Chicago labor unions have filed legal motions in Cook County Circuit Court to challenge Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate, pushing for the exact deadline suspension that a judge granted for Chicago police officers.
According to the Chicago Tribune, the 23 plaintiffs challenging the mandate include Teamsters Local 700, Chicago Journeymen Plumbers Local 130, and Service Employees International Union Local 1, stated in a copy of the filed claim. The union workers are seeking an injunction to force arbitration over Lightfoot’s vaccination policy. They’re also seeking to pause the Dec. 31 deadline for city workers to become fully vaccinated until the matter is resolved.
Members of the unions believe forcing workers to get vaccinated is a violation of their human rights.
On Nov. 1, Judge Raymond Mitchell said in the Fraternal Order of Police’s lawsuit that the city has no authority to fire police officers, also members of the four Chicago police unions. The case has to be heard by an arbitrator to determine further information regarding the deadline.
The city does have the authority to place officers on unpaid leave if they do not comply with the vaccination policy.
In a report obtained by CBS Chicago, two memos were sent out last month for all city workers to provide paperwork stating their vaccination status to the city. Chicago FOP President John Catanzara said there were thousands of officers who refused to get vaccinated.
“The unofficial number we have is about over 3,200; so about a third of the department,” Catanzara said.
He also challenged Lightfoot’s vaccination mandate by stating it was illegal because the city failed to negotiate the terms with the union.
Officers who failed to report their vaccination status were called in by their supervisors and advised to comply with the policy.
The city filed a lawsuit against Catanzara and placed a dozen first responders on a non-paid leave to defy the order.
The Chicago Tribune reported, As of Monday, 78% of the police department, 93% of the fire department, and 72% of city employees have complied with the mandate in Chicago.”
